THIS YEAR

Grey River Argus, 25 February 1943, Page 4

THIS YEAR

N.Z. GENERAL ELECTION government motion Made in Parliament P.A. PARLAIVIENT BUILDINGS, reu. 24 When the fifth session of the present parliament was omciaiiy opened oy the Governor-General this afternoon, the weatner was goou, and the usual ceremonial ooserved. ine leading of the Speech from the Throne b’q H.s Excellency to uie members of the Legislative Council and of the Lower House, assembled in the Legislative Council chamber, occupied some eight minutes. Alter the session opened, a briei sitting’ of the House was -held. Miss iv. Howard, the new Member for Christchurch East was sworn in by the Speaker, and she was greeted with applause' from both sides of the House, in returning to her seat in the back of the cross-benches from the Speaker’s dais. Another change in the seating arrangements of the House is that Mr. F. Langstone (Waimarino) has vacated h'.s seat on the Government benches in favour of a seat on the cross-benches, next to Mr. F. McCombs (Govt. Lyttelton). The most important business ot the sitting was a motion by the Prime Minister, indicating that a General Election will be held this Mr. Fraser moved: “That it is the opinion of the House that, in view ot continued improvement in the warsituation, a General Election should be held during the present year to enable the people, in accordance wth their democratic rights, to elect their representatives in Parliament, and it is resolved, therefore, that, pursuant to the proviso to Section 2 of 'the Prolongation of Parliament Act, the House of Representatives shall, unless the General Assembly is sooner dissovled, continue until the hrsi day of November, 1943, and no longer The Prime Minister indicated that ,a debate on the motion would be held to-morrow. , An outline of the position of men who have been boarded Class 2 and 3 in the Army, and others whose services are no longer required by the Defence Department, but who have not been formally discharged from the Army was given by; the Prime Minister in replying to a question by Mr. C. M. Wilkinson (Ind. Egmont), who mentioned that many o f these men were not receiving military pay, and in some cases their pension allowances were insufficient for them and their families to subsist on. Mr. Fraser said that steps are being taken to ensure that men returning from active service graded two and three could either remain in the Army, or have' a proper discharge. After discharge, there was the question of pay and rehabilitation .allowances. These had been now arranged, so that there would be no period between the time ot discharge and the time that the men would be taken back into industry. The leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. G. Holland, asked if Grade 2 and 3 men in the Army would have an oppartunity of taking their discharge. Mr. Fraser replied that that was entirely the queston of the proposals coming down. The Government would go as far as the House would go in these matters. One question was that of men who had to step back, into civil life on lower incomes. There had also been inequalities concerning men sent to hospitals. the position’ was to be altered, but it could not be varied in one second None would claim that the basic rate of the war pensions of 1914-18 would be adequate to-day. There had been some indication that an increase of twenty per cent, had been made in Australia, and we must keep abreast of our nearest neighbour. Mr. Fraser announced that a vist how was being paid by the Minister of Defence 1 , Mr. Jones to the Middle East, the United States, Canada and England. Mr. Holland asked who was ActingMinister of Defence m his place. Mr. Fraser replied that he had taken over the portfolio himself in Mr. Jones’s absence, and he was being assisted bv Mr. Osborne, who was doing detailed work; and also bv the Member for Wallace, Hon. A. Ham-l-ton. Both were giving very efficient assistance.

Mr. C. W. Boswell. (Govt. Bay of Islands), gave notice to move the Address in Replv motion at next sitting, when Miss Howard will also speak ns seconder of the motion. Motions of condolence with therelatives and appreciation of the services of the late Mr. W. H. P. Barber. Member for Newton: and Mr. G. A. Marchant, former Member for Taranak'. were passed on the motion of the Prime Minister, seconded by the Leader of the Opposition, and the House rose at 3.35 until 2.30 p.m. to-morrow as a mark of respect to their memory.