"A VERY POOR GAME"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21325, 28 October 1932, Page 13

"A VERY POOR GAME"

MB. ENDEAN ON POLITICS PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE NEED FOR REVISION URGED [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday Believing that Parliamentary procedure needed revision to make its functioning more efficient, Mr. W. P. Endean (Government—Parnell) expressed some outspoken ideas on the subject in his Budget speech in the House to-day. He explained that lie had tried to examine the Parliamentary system as a comparatively new member with a fresh mind, recalling that in his first speech in Parliament ho had commented on the somewhat peculiar procedure. Mr. Endean said he did not desire to make a personal attack on members, but ho considered there was scope for improvement in the methods by which Parliament did its business. "Ten Cabinet Ministers, with their secretaries, really run the country," said Mr. Endean. "As long as thoso men know their jobs, that may be all right. Members of Parliament are fire-brigadesmen to suppress any conflagrations." Labour Party Repetition Mr. Endean said the Labour Party indulged in a lot of repetition in almost every debate. They played the same tune on 25 different records. Discussing the work of the committees, Mr. Endean considered improvements could be made. In the first place, it was impossible for members to attend the meetings of all the committees to which they belonged. He suggested also that typewritten copies of evidence given before committees should be prepared. That might bo costly, but would give better results in enabling members to come to good decisions. Discussing what he termed "this prolixity," Mr. Endean said Parliamentary debates seemed to be very long drawn out. In England, the Addrcss-in-Reply debate took only two or three days, and only a few speakers were selected. In New Zealand this year there had been two sessions, and on each occasion the Address-in-Reply debate had occupied about three weeks. It was no wonder that the public outside had begun to take a humorous view of Parliamentary proceedings. ''Nothing Ever Finished" "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 wo take the Budget. That is interrupted by the Ottawa debate, and in the meantime wo have a discussion on an Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill. It is like a 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 game," confessed Mr. Endean. "We have whispering campaigns. Men's reputations are assailed and they are slandered. The sooner wo abolish these Yankee tactics the better. "And now I want to say something about Hansard," continued Mr. Eridean. "Why should Hansard be used as a means of electioneering ? Why not give so many folios free to each member and charge a shilling for each extra folio ? That would stop all this talk. Then people would send to Parliament thinkers and not talkers." Mr. W. J. Jordan (Labour —Manukau): You are neither. You would not be hero then. Mr. Endean: I am not a talker. This is only my second speech this session. Alleged Breaches ol Privilege Mr. Endean also criticised the procedure whereby Parliament dealt with breach of privilege accusations. "Did you ever know of any law where a man is deemed guilty before he 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. Wo 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." Discussing the Legislative Council, Mr. Endean said he did not favour the abolition of the Upper House, which acted as a check on hasty legislation in the House of Representatives. However, he did not think the Council should bo regarded as a refuge and reward for ex-members of the House in their old age. That aspect should be eliminated and appointments made from middle-aged men in professional, business and industrial worlds, in eluding representatives of both employers and employees. He did not favour an elective Upper House.