Opening Of Session Near—New Government Has Much New Legislation Ready

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 June 1950, Page 2

Opening Of Session Near— New Government Has Much New Legislation Ready

WELLINGTON, This Day (0.C.). —An atmosphere of the calm before the storm surrounds Parliament Buildings. In marked contrast with the frantic hammering of carpenters and the clatter of compressors engaged in last-minute alterations and renovations, the political tempo has slowed down almost to a standstill. Behind the scenes, however, both political parties are discussing tactics and preparing ammunition to hurl across the floor of the House.

The new Parliament will be opened on Wednesday. Within two days after the opening strange quiet now apparent in Parliament Buildings will be shattered. Seldom has a new session attracted so much public interest, and almost every radio in the country will be turned into Parliament at least for some period in the early stages. The new Government is facing its first session with confidence. A great deal of its legislative programme is ready. The law drafting office has never been so much in advance. If the Prime Minister, Mr Holland, has his way, there will be none of the last-minute flood of Bills, which was a blot on the administration of the Labour Government. Printing Problems Although handicapped by cramped quarters and inefficient plant, the Government Printing Office has cleared the decks to deal with the mass of printed matter which is inseparable from a session. Radical changes, so far only in the planning stages, will be made by this Government to improve the Printing Office, but they will not>be effective for this session. To ease the bottleneck, therefore, the Government has let a ■large number of contracts to private printers throughout the country. A major policy matter which has been delayed is the scheme for selling State rental houses, but an announcement will follow shortly. Sickness among Cabinet Ministers and Mr Holland’s policy of encouraging his colleagues to take a brief holiday before the session have thinned the Cabinet ranks recently. Leading members of the Opposition are working very hard indeed in preparation for the session. The former Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, drew good attendances at the four centres where he attacked the Government’s action in removing subsidies. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Fraser, spends every day in his office at Parliament Buildings. A frequent visitor is the former Minister for Industries and Commerce. Although defeated at the General Election, Mr Nordmeyer is far from being in the political wilderness. He is in the process of settling in Wellington as a building consultant. Mr Nordmeyer s Part His new position as president of the Labour Party will still admit him to caucuses of the Parliamentary Labour Party, and much of the am-

munition fired in the House this session will have been prepared by him. Although the New Zealand Legation in Moscow was closed last week, there is no indication that the Soviet Union will retaliate by withdrawing diplomatic representation from Wellington. . ’ It is now several months since New Zealand announced its intention to the Kremlin of closing its Legation. Observers in the capital consider that if the Soviet had intended to close its legation here it would -have done so at that stage. In the meantime, the Soviet Minister, Mr Alexander Alexandrov, and a comparatively large staff continue to operate in isolation from their two-storey imposing home ip the suburb of Kdrori.

20 Bills Ready For Consideration By Parliament

WELLINGTON, June 23 (P.A.).— Twenty bills will be ready when Parliament meets next week and among them will be several contentious measures. Cabinet has been meeting every day for the last week and giving consideration to drafts of bills which will form the basis of the Government’s legislative programme this season. Among the major measures already drafted are: a Legislative Council abolition bill, which may be introduced very early in the session, a bill which, among other things, will provide machinery to achieve the abolition of compulsory unionism, an electoral amendment bill which will give effect to the recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Commission and a bill restoring both capital punishment and corporal punishment. A number of measures of less importance will space these and other bills of major interest, but it is apparent that the coming session of Parliament is likely to get away to a good start and increase its pace very rapidly. By bringing on the Legislative Council abolition bill early in the session, the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) will be able to set up whatever machinery he intends for attending to obsequies and also give ample time for the consideration of such an alternative as may be discovered to take the place of the present Upper House. The Government’s policy on compulsory unionism is unlikely to be put into effect without arousing intense opposition in some quarters. It is to be expected that the Opposition will contest the measure, but the greatest opponents of any step to end compulsory unionism will be found outside the House. The main principle in the compulsory unionism bill is expected to be provision for independentlysupervised secret ballots among all union members to decide on voluntary or compulsory unionism. The bill is also expected to abolish compulsory levies on union members for party political purposes. The bill designed to restore capital punishment in certain appropriate cases, will be left a free vote of the House. In the proposed electoral amendment bill, the Government does not propose to restore the country quota. Its intention is to amend the Electoral Act to provide that the total population should be the standard for determining the boundaries of each electorate. Electoral boundaries at present are determined on a basis of adult population only. The Government also intends to give effect to the recommendations of the 1938 and 1946 representation commissions that the tolerance allowed above and below the quota be increased from the present figure of'soo to 7j- per cent, of the quota, in order that better consideration may be given to community of interests.