Labour bid to force petrol-rules probe

Press, 17 April 1979, Page 6

Labour bid to force petrol-rules probe

PA Wellington The Labour Party’s justice spokesman, Mr R. W. Prebble, said yesterday that a letter had been sent to the chairman of Parliament’s Statutes Revision Committee, asking for an investigation of the regulations which ban week-end petrol sales and provide for possible earless days. Under Parliament’s Standing Orders, five members can call the committee together to investigate any regulation, and six Labour members, Messrs Prebble. W. W. Freer, D. J. Butcher, F. M. Colman, and R. K. Maxwell, and Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan. have signed the letter. Mr Prebble said the evi-

iidence now overwhelmingly (supported Labour’s assertion :; that a ban on week-end . petrol sales only encouraged t hoarding and motorists to • overfill their tanks, and un- ; necessarily disrupted the re- ,! tailing of petrol. i. “It now appears that the i- ban has led to panic buying I'by businesses. This panic ;) buying may itself cause the [shortage that the week-end [sales were supposed to prei vent.” he said. Week-end sales bans have , failed everywhere in the . world where they have been , tried. , “Labour is very disturbed ; that the Government still ini tends to go ahead with earless days in May. It is clear ■ that earless days will be very

•.unfair on the single-car famdily. It will discriminate II against the commuter who I! needs a car to get to work, >iand the damage to the econ--lomy and society will be expensive,” Mr Prebble said. [ “The Government still has -not answered basic questions ;! as to whether the oil crisis is -real, or is it in fact a balance- : of-paytnents difficulty.” I[ Parliament should have -been called together six weeks ago so that a full de- : bate could have been held on ■ the energy question, he said, i “The Statutes Revision Committee is the only way in I which members of Parlia- ■ ment can responsibly call ■ upon the Government to ex- ■ plain its actions,” said Mr ■ Prebble.