PARLIAMENT Speaker Rules “Betrayal” To Be Unparliamentary

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28630, 5 July 1958, Page 14

PARLIAMENT Speaker Rules “Betrayal” To Be Unparliamentary

(New Zealand Pres* Association) WELLINGTON, July 4. The use of the word “betrayal” was ruled out of order by the Speaker (Mr Macfarlane) during the Budget debate in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr W. J. Scott (Opposition, Rodney) described the Budget as a “betrayal” and Mr N. E. Kirk (Government, Lyttelton) protested at the use of the word.

After discussion, the Speaker said he would accept an assurance that the word had not been used in reference to any member of the House.

Mr Scott, continuing, referred to an election eve broadcast made by the Prime Minister (Mr Nash) in which, said Mr Scott, a promise had been made that the 25 per cent, income tax rebate in the P.A.Y.E. tables would be retained. This promise, he added, had been broken. While Mr Scott was speaking, Mr G. F. Sim (Opposition, Waikato), interjected with “betrayal” on two occasions and Mr E. J. Keating (Government, Hastings) again raised a point of order. After hearing from Mr Sim an explanation of the circumstances in which the word was used, the

Speaker ordered that it be withdrawn. Mr Sim did so.

In response to Opposition argument against the extension of the list of unparliamentary words, the Speaker said the question at issue was whether the word .was meant to have an offensive meaning. It was not a question of whether a word was offensive to an individual member. Several times already in the debate, terms offensive to individuals, including the Prime Minister, had been used and he had not intervened. On this occasion he ruled that the words were out of order and that they be withdrawn.