THE PRESS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1982. Parliament’s year

Press, 17 December 1982, Page 14

THE PRESS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1982. Parliament’s year

As the Parliamentary session draws to a close, the pressure of unfinished business has resulted once again in a series of long, late sittings. Hardly any session ends without a flurry of business, a few long sittings, and a sense of urgency to wind up proceedings. Invariably, the Opposition has attacked the Government for rushing important legislation through a tired Parliament in the dead of night. The Labour Party, committed to a revision of Parliament that would have the House sitting on three weeks in each of 10 months each year, has said that the House was called together too late this year to allow it to get through its scheduled business without undue haste. Parliament began work this year on April 6, the earliest date for the last seven years. In 1977, a one-day sitting was held in February, when the Queen opened Parliament, but the House then adjourned until mid-May before beginning work. Although Parliament has sat for more hours after midnight this session than it did last year, it has not come close to the 50, 60, and even 70 hours of post-midnight sittings that Parliaments have held in the years since 1970. Whenever the end of a Parliamentary session falls, a build-up of work will be inevitable. A longer and more regular Parliamentary term, such as that proposed by the Labour Party, may space out the work-load and ease congestion, but

it is unlikely to avoid completely the need for some haste at the end of the session. Every Opposition accuses every Government of hasty legislation. Every Opposition wants to give the appearance that it has gone to the greatest possible lengths to oppose, check, or amend legislation and to have been unfairly frustrated in its efforts. To a great extent the Opposition sets the pace of the House and its exertions to prolong debate are kept in check when the Government majority votes to close the subject. Such votes are used sparingly, as no Government wishes to lay itself open to charges of gagging debate. A more even spread of the session throughout the year has benefits as well as disadvantages for any Government. A more or less continuous session would dispose of much of the objection that the Executive is ruling without Parliamentary oversight; it would enable major legislation to be held over for unhurried consideration and yet not. ignore its timeliness. Probably the main problem would be for the Parliamentary counsel drafting the law. Keeping abreast of Parliament and keeping up the flow of complicated legislation would be difficult. Due consideration would have to be given to this department if Parliament worked through most of the year.