DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 84, 6 October 1933, Page 6

DAY IN PARLIAMENT

NO-pONFIDENCE VOTE The only incident worthy of serious notice in yesterday's Parliamentary proceedings was the sudden development of full independence on the part of Mr. D. McDougall (Mataura), who, until Wednesday night's division' on the Labour no-confidence amendment, had-been a member of the Coalition Party. It was made clear by the Prime Minister yesterday that Mr. McDougall could no longer be regarded as a member of the party and he accepted the position readily, finding an opportunity during the day of whole-heartedly condemning the Government and inviting it to resign the Treasury benches and give Labour a chance to rule. He gave practical proof of his new-found admiration for Labour by marching behind the members of that party when tho House divided on Mr. Fraser's noconfidence amendment urging an immediate General Election, a proposal that was defeated by 46 votes to 27. Despite the dreary Address-in-Beply speeches, of which ten more were heard yesterday, there, is definite evidence that Parliament is getting down to solid work. All the necessary committees were Bet up yesterday and for tho first time in the history of the New Zealand Parliament, the name of a woman appears on two of the committees. Mrs. McCombs has been appointed to the Local Bills and the Public Accounts Committees. Plenty' of work awaits tho committees, for already there has been a large number of petitions presented on divers subjects and there is a fair amount of legislation in sight which will need to be dealt with by the committees appointed for that purpose. There is now every prospect of tho Address-in-Reply debate ending today. All the Labour members but three have spoken, and these three are Messrs. H. G-.. E. Mason (Auckland Suburbs), H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East), who is ill, and Mr. W. Nash (Hutt), who is abroad. It is expected that the Prime Minister will table his report oil the London Economic Conference, today and that an early opportunity will be given to the House of discussing it.*