LIVELY DISCUSSION IN HOUSE: RIGHT TO ASK QUESTIONS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23023, 13 August 1949, Page 6

LIVELY DISCUSSION IN HOUSE: RIGHT TO ASK QUESTIONS

(P R.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 12. A lively half-hour’s discussion in the House of Representatives this morning related (o a member’s right of putting questions to the Government, the Prime Minister, Mr. P. Fraser, raising a point of order that the privilege was being abused.

The attention of the Minister of Justice, Mr. H. G. R. Mason, was drawn by Mr. W. A. Sheat (Oppos., Patea) to a report that in two years the Invercargill Licensing Trust has lost 23,916 glasses through breakages and theft. The question asked whether the Minister would “take energetic stops to discourage the practical application of the principles of socialism.” Strong Exception Taken

Strong objection was taken by the Prime Minister to a member utilising the privilege of asking questions by associating theft with a certain train of thought. “Questions from day to day present an extraordinary problem,” said the Speaker, Mr. R. McKeen, who pointed out that he could not realise that any part of a question was out of order until he had heard it in the House. The only solution he could see was to follow the House of Commons’ procedure requiring members to submit their questions beforehand to the Speaker. As for Mr. Sheat's question, he added that the portion which conflicted with standing orders would be struck out Should Not Lightly Ee Set Aside “Before we change the system we should have a look at it,” commented the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. G. Holland, who urged that an important privilege should not lightly be set aside. He reminded the Prime Minister that during his experience in the Opposition Mr. Fraser had made good use of questions as a major item of propaganda. “The Government is becoming far too thin-skinned,” remarked Mr. K. J. Holyoake (Oppos., Pahiatua). The retort of the Prime Minister was the matter was not important to the Government but it did matter to the House. Mr. Sheat asked leave to withdraw his original question and substitute one, which he assured the House, would give no offence. He failed to get permission as there was a loud chorus from the Government benches of “No.”