COMMENT FROM THE CAPITAL SESSION WILL BEGIN LONG BEFORE MANY BILLS READY

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32253, 23 March 1970, Page 16

COMMENT FROM THE CAPITAL SESSION WILL BEGIN LONG BEFORE MANY BILLS READY

(By Out Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, March 22.—New members will have ample opportunity to test their Parliamentary wings in the session which though opened by Queen Elizabeth II on March 13, will begin in earnest on April 1. Indeed what is immediately apparent is that there is scarcely enough legislation ready or in sight to keep the House going for a fortnight.

An indication of this is that, with the House not yet down to work, two recesses, each of a fortnight’s duration, have been pencilled in. One is from April 24 to May 12, the other between June 5 and June 23.

Thus, it seems that the first four working weeks of the session will be devoted to disposing of the Address-in-Reply debate and receiving a small amount of legislation for distribution to Select Committees yet to be named. Another working period of three weeks (between May 12 and June 5) should dispose of most of the legislation which is either showing or “just around the comer” —but the House will be still waiting for the presentation of the Budget. The June break will allow the Parliamentary complex to be used for the Asian and Pacific Council (Aspac) Conference. The adjournment is apparently necessary because, even in its present truncated condition, Parliament is the only place in Wellington at which such a conference can be held. Thus the first opportunity for the presentation of the Budget will be on June 25. Last year’s Budget was presented on June 26—but much depends on whether the relevant reports have been received from overseas, and on whether or not Departmental Estimates have been completed satisfactorily. Much of the importance has been drained from Budget presentation by the habit adopted by the Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon) of releasing early what in other days would have been held for inclusion in the Budget. This has happened already this year with the relaxation of motor-car imports. It may happen again before Budgettime. The Year’s Programme The legislative programme foreshadowed by Her Majesty in her Speech from the Throne at the formal opening of Parliament on March 13 was a far-ranging but far from an exhausting one. Of the score of measures forecast, only a minority are ready to proceed. The others have not yet reached the Law Drafting Department. The Mines Bill and the Fisheries Amendment Bill, both of which were held over from last session, have had much attention during the Christmas recess and since, and should return to the House soon. The Mines Bill, a consolidation of legislation relating to mining, has been the subject of public hearings before the Labour and Mines Com-

mittee. The Fisheries Amendment Bill, which legalises trout farming for export, is still being examined by the Special Committee on the Fishing Industry—which incidentally has a much wider field to cover before making its recommendations. It is interesting that these two measures, which are the ones being most actively pursued at the moment, were the last to be mentioned by Her Majesty in her speech. The co-ordination of social welfare services is well forward. The amalgamation of the Social Security Department and the Child Welfare Division of the Education Department, to form a new Department of Social Welfare, will require several pieces of legislation, including amendments to the Social Security Act and the Child Welfare Act, plus a general revision in this sphere. An independent corporate body, the Nursing Council, will be substituted for the present Nurses and Midwives Board. This will necessitate consolidating and revising the Pharmacy Act, 1939, and the Nurses and Midwives Act, 1949. A number of measures on education are likely later in the year. An advisory council on Educational Planning has been set up following recommendations of the National Development Council, but some months must elapse before its decisions are discussed and cast into legislative form. Some of this legislation will concern equality of opportunity for all races, with special emphasis on preschool and trade training for Maoris.

Law Reform The prediction earlier this year by the Minister of Justice (Mr Riddiford) that there is likely to be a concentration on the reform of commercial law was borne out in the Royal speech. Measures to come before the House this year will relate to the carriage of goods, hire purchase, and the transfer of chattels. The age of majority was lowered to 20 last year, where it related to voting and presence on licensed premises. If this is fully extended, nearly 80 other acts must be amended in some way. The law relating to strata titles will be further amended, with a view to making the ownership of “own-your-own” flats clearer. The main object of this would be to clarify the financial side, so that such an asset would become more attractive to financial institutions. Other measures, some of!

them forecast by the Queen, will include a Marine Reserves Bill, a measure to revise and consolidate the Apple and Pear Marketing Act, 1948, another measure to revise the Orchard and Garden Diseases Act, 1928, and a Veterinary Surgeons Bill. There will be a consolidation of the Distillation Act, with amendments needed to permit local distilling of whisky, and the distilling of brandy for local wine products. This latter proposal will give our vintners something which has been lacking, the provision of which in Australia, gave a tremendous boost to the wine industry. Other possibilities involve the provision of an earlywarning system on price rises; the implementation of the report of the Carter Committee on Urban Passenger Transport; the firming-up of legislation on blood and breath-testing in traffic cases: and the stiffening of laws on drug abuse. It is certain that at least one bill will result from the Woodhouse Report on Injury Compensation, evidence on which is now being heard by a Select Committee. Later this year the Physical Environment Conference (sponsored by the New Zealand Ini stitution of Engineers and the I National Development Conference) may produce more recommendations which will need legislation. Active Opposition The Labour Party, with many new voices, intends to start the session strongly. Last year its members brought forward a number of measures in Fire Safety. Clean Air and other key subjects. The intention this year is to double the number of such bills, which generally the Government has given the courtesy of a second-reading debate. Even though the planned recesses will remove a month of working time before the end of June, it is predicted that the House will be “marking time” until the Budget comes down. After this, as usual, the bulk of Parliamentary work will be done. All this does not add up to a massive session, but it could be a long one, particularly as most of the legislation named has still to be set down in its preliminary form, and from there has to be passed through the relevant Select Committee before reaching its working stages in the House. This year, though Parliament has begun exceptiontionally early, there is no guarantee that it will not sit exceptionally late.