PARLIAMENT OPENS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 122, 8 February 1923, Page 8

PARLIAMENT OPENS

THE SPEAKERSHIP CONTESTED

ELECTION OF MR. STATHAM

LABOUR NOMINEE HEAVILY DEFEATED

A session which may be rich in surprises was begun yesterday, when the twenty-first New Zealand Pailiament assembled for the first time. The principal business of the day was the election of a Speaker for the House of Representatives. Mr. Statham was nominated by Government members and the Labour Party unexpectedly) entered Mr. McCombs as a candidate for the office. The' Government

nominee was supported by the Liberals, and elected by 61 ' votes to 17, the only member to vote.with the Labour Party

being Mr. Poland (Ohinemuri

The nomination of Mr. C. E. Statham, Independent member for Dunedin Central, for the Speakership, was moved by Mr. J. McC. Dickson, Government member .for Chalmers. “Mr. Statham’s qualifications are so well-known, and especially to the older members of the House,” said Mr. Dickson, “that it is unnecessary either to descrTbe or dwell upon them. He has been a member of Parliament for eleven years, and during that time he has earned and obtained the respect and esteem of his fellow-members.” Tlie member for Chalmers explained that Mr. Statham had occupied op various occasions the temporary position of Chairman of Ceihmittees and had thus acquired experience and close knowledge of the forms and rules of procedure so necessary for the proper conduct of the business of Parliament. Another matter that might be described as a, good qualification was the fact .that Mr. Statham was quite independent of any party. Ho owed no allegiance to party and it would therefore ba less difficult for him to uphold equally the balance between the members of the different parties. (Hear, hear.) It could bo taken that Mr. Statham would never, as Speaker of the House, be accused of exercising party bias. Still another qualification was the fact that Mr. Statham was a. barristejj Since th a constitution of the New Zealand Parliament in 1854 there had been many good and great Speakers. “I venture to say.” concluded Mr. Dickson, “that -Mr. Star tham, if elected, will rank among the great Speakers of this House.” Sir George Hunter (AFoipawa) said it gave him great pleasure to second ffie motion. Parliament had been ex- ’ oeedingly fortunate sinco its constitution in regard to the qualifications of its Sneakers, beginning in 1854 with Sir Charles Clifford. The list was impressive., He could think of Sir David Monro, Sir Francis Dillon Bell, and Sir Maurice O’Rorke, and, quite recently, Sir Frederic Lang, who had endeared himself to members by his kindness, courtesy, and strict impartiality. There was no question that. .Mr. Statham’ was eminently qualified for tho high position. He had youth, ability, and Parliamentary experience, and was a nun of independent thought and great character. He had revealed these qualities and qualifications during his Parliamentary career, and it was a pleasure to support his nomination as Speaker. (Applause.) • "A MOTION OF N - ' CONFIDENCE”

The Leader of the Labour Party (Mr. H. E. Holland) rose to announce that he wished on behalf of his party

to nominate Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttel- ' , ton) for tho officer of Speaker. “I do so,” said Mr- Holland, ‘‘not merely because Mr. McCombs possesses qualifications which eminently fit him I for the position. I do not propose Mr. McCombs merely because Mr. i Statham not possess many of the. qualifications for tho office. My reason and the party’s reason for making ! this nomination is that this instance is unique in the history of New Zea- , land. We are faced with a position where a meets the House, and can carry on only by getting a Speaker from the ranks of its opponents. The Labour Party’s nomination of Mr. McCombs is a motion of no-eonfidence in the Government. We ask that it bo regarded as such. Wo ask- tho members of the House to vote' on this motion for the purpose of conveying to tho people of the country tho message that this L House will not tolerate the abrogation of the verdict of the people by a defeated minority. Members will understand that I am making no personal attacks. We think it would bo a deplorable thing if the high office of Speaker of tho House of Bcpresentatives were to be used for the purpose of defeating the verdict of the balloti box- It has been said by the member who very’ ably nominated Mr. Statham that Mr. Statham is _ quite independent of parties. That is not so. Mr. Statham was elected as an opponent of the Government. Mr. Massey: No.

POLITICAL HISTORY Mr. Holland: The Primo Minister says G No,”- but let me draw his attention to that historic meeting that was hold in the Town Hall, when Mr. Statham, along with Mr. W. P. Black and other gentlemen, launched the National Progressive and Moderate Labour Party. Mr. Statham laid it down that he was standing for tho elective Executive. At one time, he 'said, Mr. Massey had stood for that principle, but Mr. Massey had abandoned it. nnd he was there to fight Mr. Massey. He. stood for a State bank, which Mr. Massey opposed. The Labour Lcader*procecded to refer to the birth of the United Progressive Liberal and Labour Party, and Mr. Statham’s appearance on the public platform with Mr. Wilford at Petone. He quoted Mr. Statham’s declaration that the National Progressive and Moderate Labour Party had discovered there was no reason for fighting™ tho Liberals—that the Progressive and Liberal Parties alike had one enemy, which was tho Massey partv. Mr. Holland’s next reference was to Mr. Massey’s description of Mr. Statham as a political perambulator. “Here is the position which the Labour Party—the real Oppositionputs to tho country,” ho went on. “The Government goos to the country with 49 members and comes back with BH. The Prime Minister says that is a victory over Revolutionary Socialism. He is an optimist. He can’t understand what a Pyrrhic victory means. The Government is depending upon members who w<?re elected as its opponents to save it- . So it starts to reach out to get its Speaker, not from its own ranks —which being in a minority are not entitled to elect a Speaker —but from the ranks of its opponents. Reform members: Who are the piciorit'’ F— Vxni—iro not. Mr. Holland: Tho division bst will ten where tho majority is. The Government can get a majority only by

raking in the vcfes of men who are elected to oppose' it, and when those men cross into the lobbies to vote for the Government, they have to answer for it to thoir constituents. . ._ . Let us get down to the position which was stressed by the member for Dunedin Central when he said that if tho forces in opposition to tho Government would combine they could “sweep the present inefficient Government’out of office and secure’’real .government of the people by the people for the people.” The way to do that is for nil parties to agree to put through a real system of proportional representation. (Laughter.) AA’e invite the House to defeat the Government nominee, and by defeating the Government nominee to honour the wishes of tho people as expressed at the ballot-box. Mr. M. J. Savage (Auckland West), deputy-chairman of the Labour Party, seconded the nomination of Mr. McCombs. He added liQJe to what his chief had said except a statement that the Standing Orders seemed to be defective when they perftiittcd the Government to summon “one of its friends in the Opposition forces” to its assistance in the hour of trial. /

MR. WILFORD’S ATTITUDE

The Leader of the Liberal-Labour Party, Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) made it clear from tho outset that he had no intention of'following the Labour Party into the lobby. He ouotod May’s “Po.rJiamontary Procedure ’ to tho offeet that (unless the election of a Speaker was challenged there should be no debate, but. thatjf it was challenged the respective merits of the nominees were proper subjects of discussion by the House before the election. Ho proposed to -follow the rule. First of all, however, the Liberal Party was not going tojiccepi the dictum of the Leader of the Labour Party on the Question of what should and, what should not be treated as a P o-confidence motion. His party won d stand on its own judgment. It would support the nomination of Mr. St athn.Tn against that of Mr. McCombs. —(Labour lauglite^—for reasons which he would give. The reason that the Prime Minister’s partv had to propose a member like Mr. Statham for the office of Speaker was that tho Government Party dd not include a man capable ot filling the position. That was understood because tho Prime Minister, if there had been a- memlier of his party that had the’ability to occupy the position of Sneaker, would have rewarded that member with the office. “Looking at it as an admitted fact, said Mr. Milford. “that no member of the Ketorm Partv is capable.*the Prime Minister is forced into -the position of sugges ing a member "of the Liberal-Labour or th© Labour Party, rather than a member who stood in Ins. defence at tho last election. His choice, not unnaturally. falls on a member ot tho Liberal Party. I have a natural preiudico in favour of a barrister being Speaker. (Laughter.) Air. McCombs has had a great deal of experience of the Standing Orders. I believe Mr. McCombs knows more than any other member—of the Labour Party—about tho forms of Parliament. (Laughter.) Mr. Wilford said ho did not think any ether member of the House would be so fitted for the Speakership as Air. Statham. Ho agreed with the principle laid down by Sir Erskine May that it was the duty of Parliament to select the man most fitted for the position. Air. S’latham, being a barrister. and an expert in the House on the Standing Orders, was peculiarly fitted for the position. Besides, Ins nomination was a tactical move, that must bo made by a Government winch had 38 supporters,, with 42 against.it. It was the only course, and, as Lord McNaughton pointed out. it was desirable to look for the simple, rather than tho far-fetehed. explanation of the Government’s action. “We considered tho question of nominating a man for the Speakership, and w<? saw that there was a great possibility of carrying our man, that is, supposing the Labour Party decided to put up a man., I looked at it from the point of tactics, also. Supposing we succeeded, we would lose one of our men.” ' . The Prime Minister: You are a long tirle coming tn that. . . Mr. Wilford: Wc understand it is a political move, but we. also understand that Air. Statham would bo a better man than Afr. McCombs. But I don’t want to indulge in personal reflections. THE PRIME MINISTER The Prime Alinister entered the debate. He observ?3 that it seemed to him to be developing into a rather unseemly wrangle. Some of the tactics displayed and some of tho speeches delivered were no credit to the Now Zealand Parliament. He wished to correct the Leader of the Opposition, who had said that the Government could not find a. Speaker among its supporters. There were five-anil-twenty men on the Government side, every one of whom wis fitted to make a Speaker. (Derisive laughter from the Opposition.) Air. H. Atmore (Nelson) : Don’t joke.

Mr. Massey replied Hint perhaps thq (uember for Nelson would find occasion to joke when he came to answer for what he had said in ''•■in — rd and in the newspapers of the country. There were fifty men in tho House pledged to prevent any party from attaining office which was dependent on the support of tho Revolutionary Socialist Party. The speeches made by tho Opposition that afternoon on account of tho absence of a Speaker from the chair were a gross breach of the privileges of the House. He would follow to some extent tho practice of Mr. Wilford, and ask a question. Was it not a fact that Mr. Wilford’s partv bad nrmr’''>ct’pd a. Government member and asked him to accept nomination as Speaker? REVELATIONS Mr. Wilford: I told Sir John Luke I would vote for him if he would

stand, to rob you of a member. (Loud laughter.) Air. Massey said that if Sir John Luko had been made Speaker ho would no doubt have filled the office worthily, as other members of tho Government party could have done. AVas it not a fact that Labour members had almost gone, on their knees to a man on the Reform side to- indue© him to become a candidate? Air. Holland hotly denied that there was any' foundation for such a statement. . , .

Air. Massey said that ho had it on the authority of two reliable members that Air. McCombs had made a proposition to a Reform member. Mr. AlcCombs: I wish to deny that absolutely. I joked with the member for AVcllington North (Sir John Luke) because he was feeling rather hurt at the Government’s overlooking him. ’ Both parties, said Air. Alassoy, picturesquely, had “fallen in.” He would leave it at that. He deplored the fact that there had been such a discussion as the House had listened to that afternoon.. Mr. Wilford, bv way of personal explanation, said it was perfectly true that ho had asked Sir John Luko to stand for the office of Speaker. ‘ I said,” stated Afr. Wilford. “ ‘lf you will stand, I will help you.’ But Sir John Luke’s friends wrote to me first, and asked for my support. 1 have the letters.” Mr. McCombs said that he had met Sir John Luke in the lobby. It was not good. form to repeat lobby conversations. and ho was not going to commit a breach of etiquette by telling what Sir John Luko said regarding tho Government’s overlooking him (Sir John Luke) and nominating Air. Statham. SIR JOHN LUKE EXPLAINS Sir John Luko (Wellington North) and Air. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) were on thoir feet at tho same time, and tho Clerk indicated Sil John Luko. “I agree largely, he said, “with what the Primo Minister has said, that it is regrettable that a debate of this character should have taken place. Aly name has been mentioned. and I wish to say most emphatically that the first intimation 1 had that it would be welcome to mo to stand as Speaker was when MrWilford, on two or three occasions, intimated to mo that my standing for the Speakership would give his party satisfaction, and, he believed, ths House. As far as the lobby is concerned. I am surprised'at the honourable gentleman, because this discussion did not take place in the lobby ; it was in the library. (Laughter.) It was a day or two ago, and some members —they were not Reform members, but members of the Liberal and Labour Parties —were having a discussion. It was very clearly put bv a member of t'his House, not in the Government, that my nomination for the Speakership would be approved. Air. AlcCombs said, ‘You will get my vote and our support.’ HIS COUNTRY FIRST “It was not a joke,” added Sir John Luke. “The Primo Minister knows that if I stood I had a very good chance of putting the Government, tho Opposition and the Labour I arty in an embarrassing position. My position is that I declared on tho hustings that I was a supporter of the Massey Government. Whether 1 had ©alls on the Speakership,, or th© desire for promotion, I have just as much right to be nominated for Speaker as anyone else. I have filled the position of Mayor for eight years in this city. A member of the Opposition: Wh-v did you refuse nomination 9 Sir John Luke: I stood down because I was serving my party and my country. If I can serve my country bv losing myself,,! will do it Mr. P. Fraser (Labour) said that ti>® Labour Party did not aim at leading tho Government in the way K shoulj go. But here was a Government, discredited in tho eyes of the people, wishing to carry on with the help of its opponents. The LiberalLabour Party was helping the Government to curry on by making it a present of a Speaker. The weak, lame, paltry excuse from the Liberal benches would bo treated as it deserved. If any member of the Labour Party had approached anyone, he had done something outside the councils of tho party. Never for a single moment had ho (the speaker) imagined that Sir John Luko ivould be nominated. HIS LAST SPEECH AS PRIVATE MEMBER Air. Statham, in returning thanks to tlXise who had proposed him, said, In the circumstances, he was being taken at something ot, a disadvantage. He would not enter into any, controversy on the matter. He wished to say, however, that lie appreciated the fact that any criticism of his nomination was political, rather than, personal. “Some of the statements of Mr. Holland in regard to my attitude towards the Reform and Liberal Parties are correct,” added Air. Statham. “My experience has been sotnewhat varied. (Laughter.) I have on occasions had to criticise different Administrations and different parties; that is all .the reference I want to make to tho speech of the Loader of the Labour Party. No one can avoid criticising parties. But I am entitled, and bound, to refer to my position as a member of the House. 1 would ask members who have known me for some time to accept my word tha t I was. elected absolutely as an Independent—to do whatever I pleased, and not to support any party. I was again and again asked how I would vote on a no-confidence motion. 1 'am absolutely free to exorcise my own judgment; that is my position. I did not consent to being nominated for the honourable position of Speaker without thinking tho matter over, and now I am free to accept the nomination. ' . .Mr. McCombs: If 1 am returned, I will do my best to maintain the high traditions of tho important office. If the House determines that Air. Statham is to be Speaker, I am sure ho will dischiyrga the duties with credit to tho office. He has the ability and the knowledge of procedure. Mr 11. Atmore (Nelson) said that ho would not have spoken but for an allusion made to him by Air. Massey. Tho allusion was one which he had not quite understood, but he wished to state that he had been returned to Parliament as a Liberal-Labour Independent. He had a right to go into any lobby, and in doing so he would not bo breaking any pledges. He described tho Alassoy Party as discredited, and declared he could see no reason for which the election of n Speaker could not be proceeded with without any party heat. The House divided and Air. Statham was elected by 61 votes to 17. Messrs. Stnthnm and AlcCombs abstained from voting, mid Mr. H. Poland (Olimcmuri) voted with Labour. THE SPEAKER’S THANKS The newly-eletced Speaker returned his thanks to the House and expressed his assurance that lie would administer the rules of the House, to th® best of his ability. His election was, h.- said, a compliment to his electorate and to his native town of Dunedin. Tho Prime Minister offered his 'ongratillations to the Speaker. In tho email- of tho New Zealand 1 Parliamentthere had been a long succession of distinguished men, and he felt certain that the new Speaker would be wqual to nil occasions, and that tho honour of Parliament would be safe in ris hands. It wa.s a position of great responsibility, requiring tact, dignity,

firmness, and Parliamentary experience. Mr. Massey was - glad to acknowledge that Air. Statham possessed all those qualities, <nd would fill the position with credit to himself and satisfaction to Parliament aiid the country. The Leader ot the Opposition, in adding his congratulations, said there was only one position in which he aid not envy the now Speaker; that was, in a situation, which sometimes arose, where the votes were equal. (Laught<?The Leader of the Labour Party promised that his party would give tl.e Speaker tho same support it had given his predecessor. BUSINESS OF THE SITTING ADDRESS-IN-REPLY ON MONDAY The Leader of th© Opposition asked tho Prime Alinister whether he would inform the House of what procedure lie proposed to follow during tho session. The Address-in-Reply debate might bo protracted, but in the event of a division being called for by the Liberal Party, a “pair” would be offered to Sir' William Herrios, on account of the indisposition of the member.

The Prime Alinister, in reply, said (nat to-day the Hous© would attend the Legislative Council, to hoar the Governor-General’s Speech. He did not intend to take any important business to-day. To-morrow he intended to move a resolution in regard to tho death of Air. W. T. Jennings, tho ex-member for AVaitomo, and to treat tho matter as if Mr. Jennings had been a member of Parliammt at the time of his death. (Hear. i<ar.) Then there would be the Address-m-Reply debate, which would probably commence on Monday evening. '“I would like,” added Mr. Massey, “to thank the Labour Party for the opportunity it gave the House to express confidence in the Government this afternoon. (Laughter.) Tho Leader of the Labour Party: That’s right; the Liberal-Labour Party voted-for'you. Mr. Massey said he proposed to ask the House to sit on Afondsiy at 7 30, and to sit in the forenoon thereafter It was not proposed to set up -my committees during the present session. He intended to make a short statement on the finances. There lyould be no Chairman of Committees appointed this session. The House adjourned till 2.30 p.m. to-day.