TOO FAST

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2802, 21 June 1916, Page 4

TOO FAST

The House of Representatives astonished itself last night by allowing the Budget to pass without discussion. The financial debate is generally regarded as ono of the principal features of tho session. It provides members with a special opportunity of reviewing the whole policy and administration of . the Government, and especially questions of finance. On tho present occasion there were very special reasons why the Budget proposals should be freely discussed. There are features amongst them of outstanding importance opening a wide field for legitimate criticism and suggestion. The t opinions of members regarding various aspects of war finance should have been helpful to. the Government and decidedly interesting to the community Of course, members will have opportunities of expressing their views on these'matters when the Bills embodying tho Budget proposals .come up for consideration, but they have lost their best chance of discussing the financial position and policy proposals as a whole in a broad and general way. They will now have to bo "dealt with in sections. This is regrettable: The remarkable progress which was made yesterday with the country's business is not necessarily a cause for congratulation. It is" right that Parliament should conduct its business with proper dispatch and without any useless waste of time in empty talk, but it should not overlook the fact tliat it is a deliberative assembly, and that its work should be done thoroughly and efficiently. Though the elimination of tho Budget debate was peculiarly urifortunate on the presont occasion, the blame cannot be fixed on anybody. Members waited on one another to get up and make a beginning, and as no one did so, the next stage of business was proceeded with, much to the amazement of members and Ministers alike, tinder party government the Leader .of the Opposition would have led off the debate, but. there being no leader, the opportunity was missed.