THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 63, 11 September 1924, Page 5

THE DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Some members of Parliament are ideal- c ists, and yesterday afternoon tlie House -y of Representatives discussed at some i t length the merits of the Hon. J. A. ' Hanan's ideal of the abolition of party . government and the election of Cabinete by members of Parliament. He intro- c duced a Bill designed to give effect to < his wishes on this matter, but it is un- j likely that when the session comes to an. end it will see the accomplishment of i Mi-. Hanan's ideal. He has brought the : matter u|> in the House before, and he | has not yet grown weary in trying, to -. dp well in the interests of good goverh- | ment and sound politics, but, up to thepresent, he has failed to convince all of his fellow-members of the wisdom of his proposals. The Labour members, for instance, stated yesterday that they saw practical difficulties in the way of effect- j ing his desires. For instance, a.Cabinet! in which Messrs. Holland and Massey i were Ministers could not be expected to j run along:very harmoniously for any I length of time, especially when matters involving sharp, divergencies of principle came up for decision. They were quite willing to support the Bill, however, if Mr. Hanan. would agree to making provision for the fusion of the Reform and Liberal Parties, so that Labour might be the only party in Opposition. This also is an ideal which seems to be yet afar off. Mr. Hanan's Bill was read a. first time—and, probably, for the last time this session too. There was another flutter over the Legislature Amendment Bill when the Prime Minis-, ter moved to have the motion for leave to introduce it struck off the Order Paper to prepare the way for the introduction of another Bill by GovernorGeneral's Message at the beginning of next week.: The position was that this motion could not be put until an amendment by Mr. Fraser had first of all been disposed, of, but Mr. Fraser could not see his way clear to withdraw his amendment to facilitate this course. Mr. Massey stated, however, that he could still bring his second Bill in, but in response to inquiries for information as to its contents'he preserved a suave and discreet- reticence, merely, contenting members with the assurance that, although the new Bill would be a Government measure, it would be non-party. In the evening there was a second reading debate on the Land. Bill, which is a consolidating measure. Late in the evening a crop of noxious weeds rapidly fertilised, and in between discussions on national endowments and pastoral leases various members aired their views on blackberry and thistles. At length the second reading was agreed to, and the House rose at 11:25 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. to-day..