National gets through day without majority

Press, 19 August 1982, Page 6

National gets through day without majority

PA Wellington The National Party got through a full day in Parliament yesterday with a minority of votes against Labour and Social Credit after Labour had refused pairs for two Ministers. The extraordinary situation left Labour and National tied at 40-40, and would have made Social Credit’s two votes crucial.

But Labour apparently deliberately refrained from forcing a single vote during a day in which it could in theory have toppled the Government.

The Opposition did not call for a single division — even one designed purley to embarrass the Government — although Labour Whips knew the two Ministers for whom they had refused pairs were nevertheless absent from the House.

The Government “minority” was revealed last evening just before Parliament rose by the Chief Government Whip, Mr D. C. McKinnon, who told journalists, that the Minister of Energy (Mr Birch), and the Minister of Housing (Mr Friedlander)) had been refused pairs by Labour but had deliberately left Wellington to fulfil engagements in spite of the fact that it left National without a governing majority. '

Labour Whips could not be reached but the Leader of the Opposition'XMr Rowling) appeared angry that the matter had- been made public.

Mr Rowling at first said that there had been nothing for Labour to have called a division on, but later admitted his party could have

refused to accept a select committee report which allowed the Government to drop an amendment to Accident Compensation legislation.

The Parliamentary day was taken up in part by a debate on private members’ notices of motion on which there could be no vote, blit last evening members returned to debating the Budget and the Opposition could easily have moved an amendment designed to embarrass if not overturn the Government. ■’

Mr Rowling refused to say why Labour had declined pairs — the system under which the Opposition voluntarily withdraws votes to match Ministers away from Parliament on public business — and then failed to take advantage of the situation it had created. But he said Mr McKinnon’s statement was an “extraordinary” one for a Whip to make.

Mr McKinnon told journalists he had been granted pairs for the Minister of Police and the Minister of Social Welfare (Mr Young) — who in fact were in the

House — and Gisborne’s member of Parliament, Mr R. Bell, but refused them for Mr Birch and Mr Friedlander. > ngj. He said that. the Government had appealed to the Opposition after being refused the two pairs, but had again been turned down.

The situation had been discussed with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the House (Mr Thomson) but both had decided to take the risk of haying the two Ministers absent.

“We knew if the Opposition wanted to, it could win,” Mr McKinnon said. “But we indicated our feeling of real, concern to the Opposition because I think an analysis of pairs leaves a lot to be desired and is juvenile.” The Opposition’s only real chance had been to amend the Appropriation Bill (the Budget) and the Government had been in an “uncomfortable position,” he said.

“We do not like to take these risks but in the event of Government Ministers having to do the job expected of them by the public, there has to be a more adult attitude to pairs.”