Parliament’s problem

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32474, 8 December 1970, Page 3

Parliament ’s problem

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 7. “My own view is that you will never , get rid of all-night sittings of Parliament in a democracy,” the chairman of the Parliamentary press gallery at Westminster, Mr David Bradford, said today.

Mr Bradford, who is political correspondent of “The Scotsman,” returned to Britain today after visiting Wellington to atend the centennial celebrations of the New Zealand Parliamentary press gallery on Saturday.

He had been asked to comment on the controversy over Parliament’s sitting hours, when members were kept in the chamber for more hours in this session than in any other in modern times. A Government caucus committee has been set up to examine the problem. Mr Bradford said an opposition which was doing its job was fully entitled to use every Parliamentary device to harass the Government.

“The difficulty in seeking to curb sitting hours is that this may interfere with a precious democratic freedom. At Westminster the Commons have considered similar problems after exhausting sessions, but despite recommendations of more morning sittings, the pattern of Parliament has continued virtually unchanged,” he. said.

“Experimental morning sittings were introduced but it was found these clashed with

much of the detailed committee work on legislation, and M.P.s soon made it plain they r preferred the existing set-up. • “The Commons meets each ■ afternoon at 2.30 from Mom • day to Thursday, and some- ’ times sits late into the night. On Friday they meet from ’ 11 a.m. until 4.30 p.m.. Many M.P.s serve on standing com- ’ mittees of the House, and on [ the important select committees which act as watchdogs over Government expenditure, . so their hours are long and » hard. " “But it was Mr Wilson, the

L.ader of the Opposition and former Labour Prime Minister, who used the phrase: ‘lf you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen? Those who seek to reform Parliamentary hours tend to get this kind of phrase hurled at them.” And there was always the point, Mr Bradford said, that a Government which introduced curbs on sitting hours might find itself hoist on its own petard when it in turn was in opposition and wanted to harass the Government of the day.