Power charges bill 'guillotined’ by Govt

Press, 8 June 1985, Page 9

Power charges bill 'guillotined’ by Govt

The Government yesterday “guillotined" the introduction of an Opposition bill designed to reduce power charges in the South Island, said the member of Parliament for Fendalton, Mr Philip Burdon (National). Cutting off the bill before it was debated broke Parliamentary convention, he said. It was the first time since 1924 that such a thing had happened. The Opposition, by Parliamentary convention, instigated a' two-hour debate on Fridays. The Electricity South Island Concession Amendment Bill was introduced by the Opposition spokesman

on energy, the member for New Plymouth, Mr Tony Friedlander.

It proposed a 25 per cent concession in the price of power for South Island manufacturers, and a 10 per cent reduction for householders. Mr Burdon said that the introduction of the bill had embarrassed the Government, and in particular the Christchurch Cabinet Ministers.

“It was intensely embarrassing to them," he said.

Soon after the introduction of the bill, the Senior Government Whip and member for St Kilda, Mr Michael Cullen, had success-

fully moved an adjournment, and so stopped debate. Mr Burdon said that he had specifically returned to Parliament from helping the National campaign in Timaru to speak on the bill. The guillotine measure was designed to "deliberately suffocate" the bill. Mr Burdon said that before the Government was elected it had raised expectations that it would reduce the price of power. Instead, the price had risen. It was a "dramatic abuse" of Parliamentary privilege to block the introduction of the bill, he said. Earlier report, page 2