Dozen Or So Bills Yet

Northern Advocate, 29 November 1948, Page 5

Dozen Or So Bills Yet

(From Our Political Corerspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Mon.—A dozen bills remain on the House of Representatives order paper, with one or two more to be introduced this week.

It is no formidable handicap to making this the last week of the session. Most of the remaining measures are of a machinery type, unlikely to provoke long talks. In fact, at the present stage -members who catch the Speaker’s eye frequently apologise for taking up the time of •the House. The Land Bill has to be considered in committee.

There was a long second reading debate, but no real opposition. The 11th item on the order-paper is the Government Service , Tribunal Bill, which is ready for the committee stage. This was delayed last week, possibly to give time for further consultations with service organisations. It is now suggested that if service opposition to the tribunal persists, the Government may drop the bill for this session.

There is an understanding between the parties that afternoons will be devoted to the minor measures, which ought to be cleared up within three days, leaving the major part of the debating time to the Licensing Bill.

This has been substantially amended by the Select Committee.

Though many changes represent an improved expression of the original intention, members are not disposed to talk freely on this thorny subject. Therefore, a rapid despatch is predicted.

Evidence of the busy nature of the session is shown in the fact that at the end of last week the Government printer turned out the 100th printing of bills.

Measures have to be reprinted at various stages, which accounts for the century score, but the actual number of separate measures submitted exceeds 70.