House passes super. bill after sitting all night

Press, 24 July 1976, Page 1

House passes super. bill after sitting all night

PA Wellington The Government’s Superannuation Schemes Bill, which abolishes Labour’s ’’super** scheme, passed through its final two stages in the course of a 22|-hour Parliamentary sitting which ended al 3 p.m. yesterday.

. The sitting, which began at 2.30 p.m. on 'Thursday, and was interrupted only by a twohour dinner adjournment three hours later, saw the legislation proceed through its committee and third reading stages with the Opposition forcing divisions on every one of the 21 clauses. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) w’ho as Minister of finance introduced the legislation, moved urgency on the bill on Thursday evening in an attempt to ; see it through its thirdI reading stage before he I leaves tomorrow for the | South Pacific Forum at ■ Nauru. The bill reached the committee stage — clause-

by-clause consideration — about 9.20 p.m. on Thursday. ( At 9 a.m. yesterday, the House had passed 15 of the 21 clauses in the measure and was debating clause 16.

With Mr J. L. Hunt (Lab., New Lynn) in the forefront, the Opposition maintained a regular flow of speakers to prolong proceedings. Mr Hunt frequently raised points of order, and at least three times brought on a division by moving that the sitting be adjourned. But the Government pressed on. It voted down Mr Hunt’s efforts and amendments put forward by Opposition speakers. Each time a vote was taken. the Opposition insisted on a division, adding further to the delays in passage of the bill.' The Government scaled down its attendance in the House and most Cabinet

Ministers were sent home early. Mr Muldoon left the chamber for some rest in the early hours of the morning, but returned soon after 7 a.m. Mr A. J. Faulkner (Lab., Roskill) about 3 a.m. questioned why when the Government had three Ministers of Finance not one of them was in the House. The Minister of Justice (Mr Thomson) stood in for Mr Muldoon as Minister in charge of the measure for most of the post-midnight session. In spite of strong verbal clashes between the two parties early in Thursday’s sitting, tempers remained in check for most of the allnight. session. The present round of late-night sittings was an indication of bad Government management, not a result of Opposition filibustering, said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) yesterday.