PARLIAMENT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 4 October 1927, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MONDAY SITTINGS. NO BREACH OF FAITH. Wellington, Oct. 3. Following the disposal of certain formal business in the House of Representatives this evening, the Prime Minister moved that the Speaker leave the chair in order that the House go into Committee of Supply. The Leader of the Opposition said he desired to offer the strongest opposition to this motion. It was the outcome of a breach f faith on the part of the Prime Minister with the Opposition. On Friday night, when it was agreed that only the Railway Estimates should be put through, no sooner was this done than the Prime Minister rose and moved that' the House should meet on Monday. The Opposition should at least have had notice of the motion, because some of their members had made arrangements to leave for their homes, intending to return on Tuesday morning. He wished to make it clear that the Opposition desired to keep all its arrangements made with the Government, and they expected the Government to do likewise. They wanted no tactics savouring of sharp practice, and he therefore wished to draw very pointed attention to what he characterised as a piece of “sharp practice,” due to pique on the part of the Prime Minister. Mr. G. W. Forbes outlined what, took place on Friday night, emphasising that an arrangement was made that only the Railway Estimates would be passed. The Prime Minister’s motion was not warranted, because the discussion on the Railway Statement was not unduly long, considering its importance. He regretted the position which had arisen, because his experience was that the business of the House was always best conducted when it was done in accordance with the wishes of members. Tho Prime Minister’s motion was not playing the game. Members were being treated as children. WELLINGTON EDUCATION BOARD. The discussion on the difference between the Govcrnmi t and the Opposition was at this stage ir'errupted by Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) quoting largely from a file of correspondence between the Eduea tion Department and the Wellington Education Board, for the purpose of showing that the administration of the board was most unsatisfactory. Government officers reporting that the board’s system of accounting was most unsatisfactory, that what looked like false claims had been made against the department, and that trust funds amounting to over £5OOO had been misapplied. Continuing, Mr. Fraser said there was a gerat deal more h n might quote, but he had said enough to show that a serious position had existed when the present Minis ter of Education took office.

Mr. It. McKean (Wellington South) thought that after the strong statement made in the correspondence file the Minister should have made some reply. The Hon. R. A. Wright, in reply, said that if Mr. McKcen had read the file right through he would have seen that Sir James Parr had agreed on certain conditions to grant the board between £BOOO and £9OOO. Those conditions were not accepted by the board, and the grant was not made, but Sir James Parr was willing to grant a much larger sum than he (Mr. Wright) had asked the Cabinet to grant. So far as the accounts were concerned, there was nothing more than muddlement, but those accounts were certified by the Audit Department as correct, and the members of the board had accepted that certificate, and what more could be expected of them? AMENDMENT MOVED. Mr E. J. Howard (Christchurch (douth) said there was an obligation on tile part of members of public boards to investigate the affairs of a board when they got into a muddle, and he could not understand how a Minister pf the Crown could stand up in his place in the House and defend members for not doing so. He thought the Prime Minister would hke to have the matter cleared up. and to give him a chance of doing so he moved as an amendment to the motion /before the House: “That in the opinion of this House the posi-

tion af the Wellington Education Board should be fully investigated.” Mr J. A. Lee (Auckland East) said that according to the Minister’s line of argument anything might be done and there would be no offence so long as the Audit Department did no I find it out. The Minister claimed that there was no harm in the misapplication of mqnev so long as the result was satisfactory. Thus a board might have a punt on Limerick and there would be no harm, so long as Limerick won. He seconded the amendment.

After Mr Fraser had made further reference to the correspondence file at 10.55 p.m. a division was taken on Mr Howard’s amendment, which was lost.

Mr H. G. R. Mason (Eden) then carried on the debate, criticising the engineering staff of the Seddon Col lege at Auckland, contending that they were lacking in a knowledge of advanced mathematics. He also complained of the “pinpricking’’ methods of the principal of that college towards his subordinates. Mr T. Forsyth (Wellington East) defended the staff of the Wellington Education Board, challenging ther critics in the House to say onside the House what they had said inside it. Mr W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) replied that Mr Fraser and M; McKeen had done no more than Quote from an official file, and they claimed no privilege for what they said. PREMIER’S REPLY. The Prime Minister, in reply, said the Government had hoped to be able to get through five classes of the Estimates. but later it was agreed that they should take three classes, hut this arrangement later fell through completely and finally he agreed to accept the passage of the Railway Estimates, because he had to accent this arrangement for the reason that the Opposition could have talked un til 12.30. when no Estimates at all could he t through. He had endeavoured on all occasions to work amicably with the Opposition, but the

Government was not getting on with it s business and that because the business was being held up by the Opposition, but a day of reckoning had come. The Government was going to push on and was going to consider only Government business. Opposition voices: What bills have been blocked? Continuing, the Prime Minister said he and he alone, was responsible for moving the motion that the House sit on Monday night, and all he wanted to do to night was to pass the Estimates he had agreed to on Friday night—viz.. Lands. Valuations, and Industries and Commerce. He had not been influenced by pique or irritation. Mr Holland: It would have been a fair thing to have notified the Opposition Whips. Mr Coates said that was probably correct but acting under very trying circumstances he had not done so. He was very sorry his action had been interpreted as a breach of faith, lor he certainly had not intended it as such. The House then went into Commit tee of Supply, and the following Estimates were passed:—Lands Department £169,532. Discharged Soldieis’ Settlement Account £39,995. Lands for Settlement Account £.3441 and £2629. Scenery Preservation £4BOO. Valuation Department £49.421. In dustries and Commerce £34.910. The House rose at 1.20 a.in. until 2.30 p m. to-day.