PRIVATE SESSION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 29 November 1927, Page 5

PRIVATE SESSION.

PARLIAMENTARIANS HEAR MR AMBRY. FOREIGN TOPICS AND POLICY. (BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)WELLINGTON, Nov. 28. Tiie Crime Minister intimated, when the House of Representatives met this afternoon, that lie would like to have the opinion of members as to whether they were prepared to go into secret or private session for the purpose of hearing the address from the Rt. Hon. L. C. M. S. Amcry, Secretary- of State for the Dominions, on foreign topics and policy. The difference between a secret and a private session might be highly technical but there was a difference. The idea of such a session was that many members had expressed a desire to hear an address from Mr Amery on foreign topics and policy. Mr Amery had delivered a similar address to the Commonwealth Parliament, and members gladly availed themselves of the opportunitv to hear him.

It xvas not possible to make any other arrangement, as Mr Amery had engagements which keep him busy for the remainder of iris stay- in Wellington, and he was leaving for the south tomorrow. If members would like to hear Mr Amery for, say, an hour and a half, with questions for another halfhour, that could be done, but they must dispense with a debate. Whichever course the House chose to adopt, the proceedings would be equally private and confidential.

The Leader of of the Opposition, Mill. E. Holland, asked is strangers would be excluded.

The Prime Minister replied in the affirmative.

Mr Holland then asked if the Press would be excluded, and the Prime Minister replied that he had left that in the hands of the Speaker. In reply to a question from Mr Hoi land as to whether only members of the Press gallery would he admitted, and whether the representative of the “New Zealand Worker” could not be present, the Prime Minister intimated that only members of the Press gallery would be present. Mr Holland: Then we won’t agree to that!

The Prime Minister said he thought <i private sitting would be sufficient for their purpose, the proceedings of which would be equally private and confidential.

The Speaker then ordered all strangers to withdraw, whereupon the members of the Press gallery quitted the chamber.

Tt is understood a private session was agreed upon, which lasted till 0.30 p.ni. _____