DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 30, 4 August 1939, Page 8

DAY IN PARLIAMENT

BUDGET DEBATE UNDER WAY

The debate on the Budget swung into its full stride in the House of Representatives yesterday, six speakers contributing their views about several things in general and many things in particular. Each speaker is allowed an hour, and the fact that no extensions of time were asked for suggests that this privilege will be dispensed with for the duration of the debate—a procedure that w^ll have an appreciable effect on its termination. Opposition speakers, of whom there were three, seized on the taxation proposals of the Budget with obvious eagerness, and with Government speakers defending their financial policy, the argument followed well-established party lines.

The first Opposition speaker was Mr. J. Hargest (National, Awarua), who spoke of the dissatisfaction he claimed existed among the public servants, and also charged the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) with haying misled the country regarding railway finances. Mr. J. G. Barclay (Government, Marsden), one of the farmer members of the Government, championed this aspect of the Government's policy. Mr. A. E. Jull (National, Waipawa) was concerned about the state of the Main Highways Fund as a result of Government borrowing, and the Rev. A. H. Nordmeyer (Government, Oamaru) spoke on the subject of Social Security. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (National, Waitomo) blamed the Government for importing labour instead of training it, and Mr. E. P. Meachen (Government. Marlborough), who was still on his feet when the House rose at 10.30 p.m.. denied the statement that there were still tradesmen on Public Works and on relief