Mr McLay rejects call to limit House sittings

Press, 11 April 1984, Page 26

Mr McLay rejects call to limit House sittings

PA Wellington Restricting the hours of parliamentary sittings would be the antithesis of a democracy, according to the Minister of Justice, Mr McLay. Mr McLay was responding to the call by the deputy Labour leader, Mr Palmer, for an end to Parliament sitting beyond midnight.

“In virtually every democracy Parliaments, or whatever name they go under, sit late on occasions, and it is interesting to note that at various times parties that have been in opposition for some considerable period promise to limit the hours under which Parliament sits. “Norman Kirk did so in

1972. The reality is very different,” Mr McLay said. "In a democracy you’ve got to give the Opposition time to express its opposition. I recall Dr Martyn Finlay (Labour’s 1972-75 Minister of Justice) saying that one of the real devices, one of the only devices available to an opposition in a democracy is delay. “Where they want to delay to express their opposition you’ve got to give them the time to do that. At the same time a government must finally take the time to get its business through the House, “The real problem would be if there was some restriction on the time of Parliament because that could inevitably be a restriction on the time available to an opposition and that would be the antithesis of a democracy,” he said.