“A POOR GAME”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 269, 28 October 1932, Page 8

“A POOR GAME”

OPINION OF POLITICS MR ENDEAN OUTSPOKEN. PROLIXITY AND ROCEDURE. '(By Telegraph— Special to "Tribune”) Wellington, October 27. A confession that he regarded politics as a very poor game was made by Mr W. P. Endean (Parnell) In a remarkable criticism of Parliamentary procedure during the Budget debate in the House to-day. He was particularly scathing in his references to the

Wort of the House, declaring that It could be revised with advantage, in this siding with those who have recently been commenting upon the need for reform. •’Ten Cabinet Ministers with their Rcretanes really run the country,” eaid Mr Endean. "As long as these men know their jobs that may be all light. Members of Parliament arc Are brigadesmen to suppress any conflagration.” Mr F. Langstone (Waimarino)t Wow's your hydrant! Continuing, Mr Endean said that the Labour Party indulged in a lot of repetition. In almost every debate they played the same tune on 25 di# Terent recoras. UNNECESSARILY LONG DEBATES.' Discussing what he termed " this prolixity,” Mr Endean said that Parliamentary debates seemed to be very long drawn out. Ri England the !Address-in-Keply debate took only two •r three days and the speakers were ■elected. in New Zealand this year there bad been two sessions and on each occasion the Address-in-Reply debate had occupied about three weeks. It won no wonder that the public out •ide had begun to take a humorous view of Parliamentary proceedings. "We deal with our business in a very

higgledy piggledy fashion,” said Mr Endean. "Nothing is ever finished. ,We start on the Address-in-Reply debate. Then we take the Budget. That is interrupted by the Ottawa debate, and. in the meantime we have a disens•lon on the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill. It is like * farmer starting out to plough a field doing an acre and then rushing off to other tasks, none of which are properly finished. '"I regard politics as a very poor flame,” confessed Mr Endean. "Wo Eave whispering campaigns. Men’s reputations are assailed and they are ■landered. We know what has happened in New Zealand in that respect as far as one member of this House is concerned. The sooner we abolish - these Yankee tactics the better.

| GUILTY BEFORE HEARD. "Did you ever know of any law Where a man is deemed guilty before »e has had a hearing!” asked Mr Endean. "Yet in this House we set up the position that a man - is guilty Without trial. The thing is monstrous and is opposed to all sense of justice. JWe would be well advised to alter our procedure and before we condemn a man give him a chance to appear at the bar of the House and be heard.”