Amended Orders Accepted

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29848, 14 June 1962, Page 16

Amended Orders Accepted

(Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 13. Drastic amendmentsto Parliamentary procedure became effective tonight immediately after the House of Representatives accepted, with amendments, the report of the Select Committee on Standing Orders. The new procedure went nto operation tonight with shortened speeches for the Address - in - Reply debate, although the House made a special exemptton for the first twe sneakers, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Nash) and the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) Among mat#rs left in abeyance were the wording of the prayer and the constitution of the proposed Select Committee on Public Expenditure. Before the House resumed its consideration of the new S’andmg Orders today Mr Holyoake made the suggestion that the rule on mem.

bers asking tor leave of absence should be amended The formal requests by the whips should be dispensed with, he said, “to rid ourselves of all the unnecessary words we can." The Speaker could be given power to grant leave, he said.

There was a brief debate on the niceties of requiring ministers to give answers to oral questions of which they had earber been given notice The Speaker (Mr Algie) said that although he migh’ call on a minister to reply he could not compel him to sav anything

Mr A. H Nordmeyer < Opposition. Island Bay): What is suggested by the Speaker is right. It is quite competent for a minister to stand on his feet and say nothing An interjection: They often do. “If he follows that course it might be more informa-

tive.” said Mr Nordmeyer. An amendment to permit private members and the movers of local bills to move

that the report stage be taken immediately—thus eliminating the delay of a week until the next sitting day for these items—was approved.

f Commenting on delays with the stages of private item- ? bens’ bills, Mr H. R. G. i Mason (Opposition , Wai- - takere) said this amendment r put the private member back in the position he was before j these delays were imposed > after the abolition of the Legislative Council.

Without demur, the House agreed to an amendment from Mr Nash which allows speakers 20 minutes each on the third reading of a bill, instead of 15. as proposed by ’he committee But a further move by Mr Nash to a similar time in. crease in imprest supply de-

bates lapsed Mr Nash offered to withdraw this amendment if Mr Holyoake guaranteed a rapidfire half-hour debate each Tuesday and Thursday, as the committee had originally recommended but Mr Holy, oake refused to give this undertaking. Fifteen-minute speeches in

imprest supply debates would help ensure that more members participated. ne said.

Approval was given to an order that a petition lapses if, at the end of a Parliament, no report has been made to the House by the committee.