PRIVILEGES WAIVED

Evening Star, Issue 21993, 1 April 1935, Page 15

PRIVILEGES WAIVED

UTTER HOUSE ALTERS TAXING PROPOSAL THE MINISTER CONSENTS [Prom Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, March 30. Waiving its privileges without establishing a precedent, the House on Saturday night approved of the action of the Legislative Council in delaying by one month the date' for the Collection of the orchard tax. “The Legislative Council has no right to interfere with the taxing proposals of any of our Bills, and this is what I plight term a flagrant infringement of the privileges of this House,” said Mr Speaker, when Mr Forbes intimated that the Government had no objection to the amendment to the Orchard Tax Bill made by the Upper House. Mr Speaker added that no doubt on its merits the amendment was perfectly reasonable, but that did not alter the fact that the Council had infringed on the privileges of the House. Having drawn attention to that, lie had no more to gay if it were the wish of the House to waive its privileges. It was explained by Mr Macmillon that the amendment had been made at the behest of the Government because the department had been unable to issue by the time prescribed in the original measure the notices for collection of the impost. Mr Speaker: The Minister, then, was a party to breach of privilege. (Laughter.) Mr Macmillan; Unfortunately that is so.

Mr T. Armstrong; What are we going to do with him ? Another Labour Member: Confine him to camp. Congratulating Mr Speaker on safeguarding the interests of the House, Mr Fraser said such a matter might one day develop into something serious, and into a question of conflict between the two Houses. It caused constitutional trouble previously, and unless a watch were kept the House in future years might find its rights infringed to a considerable extent. The Minister of Agriculture moved that, although the Council’s amendment constituted a breach of privilege, the House waived its rights on the understanding that a precedent was not created.■ This course was agreed to.