PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 112, 4 February 1933, Page 12

PARLIAMENT

Exchange Bill Passed EIGHT-VOTES MARGIN End of Five-Days’ Debate ANSWER TO CRITICISMS After a lapse of five days, the crucial division on the -second reading of the Banks Indemnity Bill, giving effect to the Government’s policy of exchange inflation, was reached in the House of Representatives shortly after 6.30 yesterday morning. Interest was running high in the outcome, in spite fo the fact that it was generally known that the Government would have a comfortable majority’. In the final test eight Coalitionists voted vvith the Labour Party, the second reading being carried by 43 votes to 35, a margin of eight. The Prime Minister’s determination to force the pace during the final stages of the Bill kept members out. of bed all night, for the Government gave no quarter once urgency had been secured on Thursday afternoon, the intention being to reach finality at one sitting and dispose of the Bill before the week-end. No debate in recent years lias held the public interest to such an extent, chiefly because it was common knowledge that the Government would lose the support of several of its followers, and the public galleries were crowded until well after the Prime Minister spoke shortly before midnight on Thursday, some even waiting until the second reading division was taken in broad daylight. Of the 53 speakers who participated in the second reading debate, 27, or more than half, were drawn from the Government benches. Opinions were slowly defined during the five days on which the Bill was before the House. Eight Government members condemned the exchange inflation more. Early Morning Division. At one stage in the early hours of yesterday morning three Coalition members attacked the Government’s policy one after the other, but by 5 o’clock it was evident that the end of the struggle was being reached, as the House went to a division at that hour on the Labour Party’s amendment to refuse a second reading. This was lost by 47 votes to 31, and three more speeches saw the end of the debate'and the removal of all doubts concerning the passage of the Bill. ' That the Issues at stake were too serious for the making of any arrangements in the lobbies was made clear by the Government’s refusal to grant a pair for Mr. W. J. Jordan (Lab., Manukau) . who is en route to England on family business. Apart from him every member recorded his vote when the second 'reading division was reached. Mr. R. McKeen (Lab., Wellington South) was taken seriously ill on Thursday night, but as a pair was refused by the Government he came from his home to the House in response to a telephone message at 6 o’clock in the morning, recording his vote in the lobby, but not going into the Chamber. In the afternoon Mr. McKeen went into a private hospital to undergo an operation. Support for Opposition. Of the eight Government members who spoke against the high exchange, neither Mr. H. G. Dickie (Patea) nor Mr. H. Holland (Christchurch North) actually voted against the measure. The Coalitionists who voted with Labour were: Messrs. W. Downie Stewart (Dunedin West), A. J. Stallworthy (Eden), W. A. Veitch (Wanganui), P. McSkimming (Clutha), W. A. Bodkin (Central Otago), K. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs), D. McDougall (Mataura), and A. Harris (Waitemata). They were supported by four Independents, Captain H. M. Rushworth (Bay of Islands), and Messrs. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont), H. Atmore (Nelson), and E. T. Tirikatene (Southern Maori). The tension was considerably relieved t when the House adjourned for breakfast, for even up to the last minute it was not known definitely exactly how some. Government members would vote. Further opportunity was taken by the Labour members to speak on the general principle of the Bill on the short title in committee, and it took three hours to get past this stage. The remaining clauses went through without difficulty, although several were challenged, and just on 27 hours after the House met on Thursday afternoon the third reading was passed and the Bill put through. It is of interest that in 1928, when there was a full vote in the House on the occasion of the defeat of the Reform Party, Mr. Jordan was the only member absent. He was then on his way back from England. The House rose at 6.10 p.m. until 2-30 p.m. on Tuesday.