Tells Why Opposition Drops Out Of Debate

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1944, Page 3

Tells Why Opposition Drops Out Of Debate

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The debate on the Rehabilitation Amendment Bill was continued in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon by Government members, no Opposition speakers offering to take part.

When the House met in the evening the Hon. R. Semple said no Allied country could compare with New Zealand in wartime housing. New Zealand was building 3000 houses today, onethird of them out of materials other than timber. They had been experimenting with every possible substitute material, and some energetic men who were in touch with him every week had been spending their own money in developing the invention of a new material. One group of men had spent £BOOO of their own money and had not asked for a penny.

Mr. Semple exhibited to the House a sample of pumice board which, he said, had resulted from this experimentation. It was • prepared from pumice, of which New Zealand had many millions of tons, and those who had been developing the process believed that they had solved the problem of consolidating pumice and at the same time making it moistureproof to prevent dampness in the interior of houses.

Passes Many Tests

This new pumice board had been subjected to water pressure and many tests, and he believed it was now 100 per cent, right. A contract had been let for the construction of 10 houses of this material, and a big contractor was building 9 large factory to undertake its wholesale production. If it was as successful as he hoped, it would save tens of thousands of feet of timber.

Mr. Semple described other methods which had been devised for more speedy efficient use of concrete in housing. He said he did not want to see any returned man living in garages or tents. He wanted to see the standards of housing • raised and not lowered “this year, if things go as I think they will, unless something unforeseen happens,” added the Minister. “Then, by the end of the year I think that with permits issued for private building with State Advances loans, and with State houses being built, we will have built a total of 9000 new houses, which would be more than ever before in any one year.” Opposition’s Dnsires Mr W. M. C. Denham (Govt.-Invercar-gill) who was the ninth Government speaker in succession, .asked why the Opposition had dropped out of the debate. Had they run out of ideas? ho asked. An Opposition member: We want io get on with the business of the country. Mr Denham said that 110 business was of more importance than rehabilitation. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) rose when Mr Denham had concluded and said that Mr Denham had gone out of his way to try to convey to the country the impression that Opposition members had no ideas about rehabilitation and had not contributed anything to the debate. For two days and nights Opposition members had taken their part in the debate and had made some valuable contributions which he summarised. They wiinted to get on to the committee stage where they could consider improvements to the bill, but obviously the Government was determined to continue talking, although today’s speeches had not contributed anything new. It was obvious that the debate was being continued for the purpose of denying elected representatives of the people an opportunity to discuss important: matters which would be smothered by the rush of business at the end of the session. Burning of Ballot Paper's The Opposition wanted to discuss the report of tire committee which was inquiring into the burning of soldiers’ ballot papers. The Hon. W. Nash rose to a point of order and submitted that Mr Holland was not in order in referring to a matter which was before a committee. The speaker said the remark was merely a passing reference and was in order. Mr Holland said another matter that the Opposition wanted to ger. to was the report of the committee which was considering (he Auditor-General’s report, but if the present tactics were followed they would have no opportunity to do so. Mr Nash, answering Mr Holland's claim that, the Government was attempting to avoid a full discussion of important legislation. said there was nothing more important than the present measure concerning rehabilitation. On the other hand, many of the Opposition’s criticisms were valueless. For instance, the contention frequently made that the Government was denying freedom to returned men and to the country generally through excessive regulation, was so much bunkum. The only freedom the Government had taken away from this country was freedom for individuals to take advantage of the war to exploit the people. That freedom would be absent from New Zealand for a long time as far as the Government was concerned. Accepts Advice The Minister for Rehabilitation (Hon. C. F. Skinner) replying to the debate, denied that he had ever said he would not take advice from anybody. In fact, no one had laid himself more open to advice than he had in the Ministry for Rehabilitation for it was a job without precedent. He would like lo place on record that members of the national executive of the R.S.A. who had been conferring with him that clay, had themselves said that the Government had accepted 90 per cent of I heir suggestions concerning rehabilitation. Mr Skinner said that the Rehabilitation Board was not dominated by departmental officers. Five of the members represented departments and the other five, including himself, were from other interests. Referring to claims that rehabilitation should be decentralised, he said it had been realised from thfe start that it would have to be decentralised, but there was an important reason why decentralisation had not been undertaken until now. The men who were to do the work had to get experience in what was required, so that there would be uniformity of policy throughout the country. He expected to have all committees working by February The Minister was interrupted by the adjournment.