MR HOLLAND PROTESTS: RUSH OF BILLS

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 October 1948, Page 2

MR HOLLAND PROTESTS: RUSH OF BILLS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “Year after year we have to repeat the same complaint of legislation by exhaustion, and to ask that Parliament should be run on a more business-like basis,” said the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland, today. “If seems to be inevitable,” he added, “that after spendirig- 17 or 18 weeks in discussions on general subjects, there should be concentrated into the remaining five or six. weeks of the session fnore actual legislation than Parliament had been asked to consider prior to this date.” He hoped that some day a Government would be found which would give Parliament a better opportunity of doing its work by spreading the legislative programme evenly over the whole session, said Mr Holland. That would enable every proposal to be fully examined within reasonable hours of sitting. “The fact that long hours are ahead of Parliament will not deter the Opposition from maintaining its consistent attitude of making the closest examination of every proposal,” continued Mr Holland. “That will be done, even if we sit here until January.” The Opposition, he said, saw no point in long -drawn-out discussions, but it riiust give most careful attention to all legislation. As an example, he said, the Finance Bill brought down last week was being scrutinised by four sub-committees of the party.