Legislature Amendment

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 235, 11 September 1924, Page 5

Legislature Amendment

PREMIER'S SECOND BILL. OPPOSITION MEMBERS CURIOUS. (Special to “Tribune.”) Parliamentary Buildings, Sept. 11. Yesterday afternoon the Prime Minister moved that the Legislature Amendment Bill be discharged from the Order Paper, and members at once showed curiosity as to what ig in the second bill which has been promised. Mr. Sullivan : Will the Prime Minister be prepared to give the House any indication of the motive that has actuated him in so moving? Mr. Massey: Yes; if the House dosires it. Mr. Sullivan: Will he also explain, >n order that members may be in a position to know whether they should consent to the motion, whether the bill that is being eliminated is identical with the one that he proposes to introduce or whether this is another method of getting the same bill before the House? Mr. Parry asked whether the bill it was proposed to bring down by Governor-General’s message would be a Government measure.

“It will,” replied Mr. Massey, and then, “does the hon. member mean will it be a party measure?” Mr. Parry: Yes. Mr. Massey: No. it will not. Mr. Fraser appealed tp Mr. Speaker for his advice on the Prime Minister's motion. Was notice of motion given by the Prime Minister to discharge the bill from the Order Paper? Mr. Massey said he realised that it could only be discharged with the cob sent of the House. Mr. Fraser: The unanimous consent. Mr. Speaker stated that a motion to discharge a bill from the Order Paper being a matter of procedure did not require notice to be given in addition to the Prime Minister’s motion. However. Mr. Fraser had moved an amendment to the introduction of the bill and before the measure could be withdrawn the amendment must be dis posed of. Therefore, he could not accept Mr. Massey’s motion. The Prime Minister said he quite understood the position in regard to the bill. He had no right to move to discharge the bill from the Order Paper. Because Mr. Fraser had the right to resume the debate on his amendment if he was so inclined, hut he was strongly of opinion that the amendment wa 8 not in order because it was not relevant to the title of the bill.

Mr. Parry: Do you want the bill 1 “If I had not wanted it, replied Mr. Massey, “it would not be on the Order Paper.” Mr. Holland: Do you propose to substitute a different bill for it ? It did not matter much to him. said the Prime Minister, whether the bill was struck out or not. He proposed to bring down another bill, probably No. 2 of the same title, but it would not be the same as the one mentioned on the Order Paper. Mr. Holland: What will be the difference ?

Mr. Massey said that certain proposals in the present measure would be omitted from the new one. Mr. Holland: What are they? Mr. Massey “I hope the hon. member will possess his soul in patience.” He added that he was prepared to bring down the new measure by straightforward means rather than by any other method that he could adopt Mr. Wilford: Is the bill the Prime Minister proposes to introduce yet drawn?

“Yes, it i s drawn.’’ said Mr. Massey, “but not printed. It is in type.” “Has the Prime Minister read it yet,” asked Mr. Wilford with a smile. Mr. Massey: I hope the hon. gentleman won’t ask silly questions (laughter). “Has th© Right Hon. gentleman read it,” persisted the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Massey: Considering that I had it dictated to a typist I tjiink that took the place of reading it. Mr. Wilford suggested that it was absurd to take the time of the House in the matter and that if the House objected to the withdrawal of the measure th© Prime Minister should let it drop and get on to the other bill. The Prime iWinister said that he had intimated that that was what he intended to do. Mr. Wilford: When does the Prime Minister intend to bring in the new bill? Mr. Massey: At the beginning of next week. Replying to Mr. Speaker Mr. Fraser said that in view of the uncertainty of the situation he did not feel inclined to withdraw his amendment, but if the Prime Minister would indicate one or two of the leading points or the nature of his bill he might do so. Mr. Lysnar: What difference would that make? Mr. Fraser: It might make a very great difference. Mr. Massey said that he would move to postpone, the item on the -Order Paper relating to the introduction of the Legislature Amendment Bill. The new measure would have the same title as that now before the House, and there would be nothing to prevent anyone from moving the insertion of a clause from the present measure into the new bill. Replying to a further question Mr. Massey stated that there was nothing concerning the second ballot in his bill. He went on to allude to the waste of time caused by the Labour members blocking the introduction pf hi s legislation. Mr. Wilford: Are vou going to lot them block it? Mr. Massey: No; I am going to do the other thing. The item on the Order Paper was thereupon postponed until the other motions to introduce bills were disposed of and was not again reached at that sitting.