COMMENT FROM THE CAPITAL LABOUR MADE EFFECTIVE USE OF SESSION’S TWO LAST DAYS

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32567, 29 March 1971, Page 14

COMMENT FROM THE CAPITAL LABOUR MADE EFFECTIVE USE OF SESSION’S TWO LAST DAYS

(From

C. R. MENTIPLAY,

Parliamentarg reporter of “The Press”)

WELLINGTON, March 28.—The short “emergency” sitting of , Parliament, which was expected to last two working weeks, ended at five minutes past midnight last Wednesday—that is, in the early hours of Thursday morning. It thus took almost exactly four weeks from the formal opening.

In that time the House passed the Stabilisation of Remuneration Bill through all stages, disposed of the Address-in-Reply debate, had debates on several notices of motion, and received 13 new measures.

A main cause of prolonging the sitting was the Prime Minister’s decision not to invoke urgency. Had he done so, the House could have gone into recess from Friday, March 19. As it was, Parliament was still sitting when the Mount Eden Prison riots took place, and Opposition members made excellent debating use of that fact last Tuesday. Consideration of the Stabilisation of Remuneration Bill revealed some of- the problems faced by the Opposition. Though Mr W. W. Freer (Lab;,: Mount Albert) introduced a measure which Was intended to be read into the Government measure. Not all Opposition members were happy about the proposal. Attitude defined

Had the debate finished on March 19, the public would have found it difficult to define Labour’s attitude. This situation was remedied last week, when the following points were made: 1. Industrial action advised by the Federation of Labour in opposition to the bill was not condoned by Political Labour.

2. Effective restraint must be applied to all incomes, not merely a section of them. 3. Prices must also be held down more firmly than could be done under the Price Justification Scheme.

4. The Government itself must give assurances that these and other measures imposed on the public would not be nullified by increased taxes and Government imposts.

These points were well made by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk), and Labour’s financial and economic spokesmen, Messrs N. V. Douglas and W. W. Freer, before discussion on points of order began to obscure the issues. An attempt to defer the bill until restraints could be made more general was defeated 38-35, after which, it appeared, the Opposition had gone as far as it could. In those two evenings of debate, however, the Opposition had established a viable point of view. Thus, from a purely strategic aspect, the Opposition had scored heavily from the unexpected two days bonus of Parliamentary discussion. The next phase

It is unlikely that Parliament will reassemble before May 18, a more favoured date being May 25. Before then both Sir Keith Holyoake and Mr Kirk will have visited the United Kingdom and other areas overseas. The short sitting has given both of them a thorough briefing in New Zealand problems, which they are capable of putting to good use.

Sir Keith Holyoake is planning to leave New Zealand for Britain, via the United States, on Easter Day (April 11), and will see the United States President (Mr Nixon) on the way. Mr Kirk has not announced a departure date, but he will be on his way in mid-April, for a probable three weeks trip. An early Budget has been promised—but it is not likely to be much earlier than last year’s which was introduced on June 25. To produce a Budget as early as this is no mean feat, if the document itself is to be at all significant. Yearly reports must be complete before this and departmental estimates must be ready in their complete form. There are also the problems entailed in the fact that New Zealand’s financial and economic future is still closely involved with what happens on the other side of the world. Even with modern techniques it is impossible to forecast accurately what New Zealand’s primary products will produce in revenue in 1971-72. The work ahead

The Order Paper, as left on Thursday morning, bears evidence of a House that will be in running order no matter when it chooses to reassemble. The first items on it are no fewer than 14 notices of motion, of which nine are by Opposition members, attacking aspects of Government policy or administration. These notices are entitled under Standing Orders to half an hour’s debate each, not necessarily followed by a vote. In fact, though this system has existed for several years, no vote has ever been taken. Nine measures remain on the Order Paper, all requiring second-reading or committal debates, they are the Sale of Liquor (No. 2) Bill, the Primary Products Marketing Regulations Validation Bill, the Apple and Pear Marketing Bill, the--Consular Privileges and Immunities Bill, the Bank of New Zealand Bill, the Companies Amendment Bill, the Broadcasting Authority. Amendment Bill, the Broadcasting Corporation Amendment Bill, and the Government Railways Amendment Bill.

This, of course, will be a

working recess, though the phrase seems to have gone out of favour in political circles. Before its rising, Parliament approved certain changes of committee personnel, and .agreed that the Select Committees should work during the recess.

Busy committees Some committees will be busy. The Local Bills Committee, for example, has four measures to consider, the first in priority being the Christchurch City (Reserves) Empowering Bill. It will hear depositions in Wellington as soon as possible after the advertising of amendments, and will then move to Christchurch for hearings.

Other committees have the following legislation before them: Statutes Revision Committee: Armed Forces Discipline Bill, Bills of Exchange Amendment Bill, Defence Bill, Hire Purchase Bill, Sale of Liquor Amendment Bill, Incorporated Societies Amendment Bill. Lands and Agriculture Committee: Marine Farming Bill, Marine Reserves Bill, Water and Soil Conservation Amendment Bill. Commerce Committee: Trade Practices Amendment Bill. Defence Committee: Defence Bill. Fishing Industry Committee: Fisheries Amendment Bill (No. 3). Social Services Committee: Hospital Employment (Transitional and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.