POISON MOTION IN ORDER, SPEAKER RULES

Northern Advocate, 9 December 1937, Page 8

POISON MOTION IN ORDER, SPEAKER RULES

[Per Press Association. Copyright! WELLINGTON. This Day. There was a lengthy discussion in the House of Representatives yesterday on a point or order raised by the Minister of Education, the Hon. P. Fraser, in connection with a motion by Mr. W. J. Poison (Opposition-Strat-ford), who moved to adjourn the House, in order to discuss the situation on the waterfront at Auckland. Mr. Fraser, in moving his point of order, submitted that Mr. Poison’s motion did not conform to the Standing Orders. In the first place the holdup at Auckland had been settled, and, secondly, there was now no question of urgency in the Auckland dispute, as no such dispute now existed. Urgent Public Concern.

The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates (Opposi-lion-Kaipara) asked if the position would be much altered as a result of the settlement of the Auckland dispute. The whole question of the transport of our produce overseas was concerned, and that, at all times, was a matter of urgent public concern. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, drew attention to the fact that Mr. Poison’s motion applied only to the position at Auckland and not to the rest of the Dominion. The Auckland dispute did not now exist. The privilege required in Mr. Poison’s motion for the adjournment of the House applied only to urgent questions, such as might, arise, say, from a declaration of war etcetera. But. if the House could discuss under such motion questions, say, relating to banking or industrial business, the Government of the Country would soon be in a chaotic state, and they would never be able to get any business done by the House at all. Mr. Endean Withdraws Statement. The debate on the point of order was continued by Mr W. A. Bodkin (Opposition-Central Otago) the Attor-ney-General, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, the Hon. W. E. Parry, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Messrs. W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition-Waitomo), S. G. Smith (Opposition-New Plymouth), and W. P. Endean (Opposition-Par-nell). Mr. Endean stated that, he would get a better run in the Supreme Court than in the House. t The Speaker, the Hon, W. E. Barnard, called him to order and asked him to state what he meant in his statement. Was it a reflection on the Chair or on the House. On the Speaker’s request, Mr. Endean withdrew the remark. The Speaker, giving his ruling on the point of order raised by Mr. Fraser, said he was placed in a position of considerable difficulty. but he felt he would not be justified at present in ruling that