LESS TALKING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21845, 6 July 1934, Page 13

LESS TALKING

MR. FORBES' HOPES SHORTENING OF DEBATES BETTER PROGRESS POSSIBLE SUGGESTION FOR REFORM [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Thursday Out of the Labour Party's tactical move in taking no part in the Address-in-Reply debate may emerge a plan for a more efficient despatch of Parliamentary business. Such a hope was expressed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, when speaking in the House of Representatives to-night. He said the Government was willing to have a committee "set up, representative of all parties, and aided by the advice of Mr. Speaker, to consider ways and means of shortening debates and arranging business to a schedule.

At the outset of his speech, Mr. Forbes confessed he had been surprised yesterday when, instead of the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. M. J. Savage, rising to speak, his deputy, Mr. P. Eraser, had risen in Mr. Savage's absence, and presented a paper in which the statement was made that the Opposition would take no part in the debate. "Well," said Mr. Forbes, "that announcement was a welcome one." Mr. J. O'Brien (Labour —Westland): What are you squealing for, then? Past Labour Tactics Mr. Forbes said one remembered past sessions, when all the speeches were made from the Labour benches. Labour members had said to the public, "If you want to know who is doing the work in Parliament, look at Hansard." But the man who talked most was the one who delayed work being done. Mr. R. Semple (Labour —Wellington East): Well, sit down and get busy.

Mr. Forbes said the silence of Labour members on this occasion had allowed Government members to make contributions to the debate which were well worthy of the* Ministry's consideration. He did not remember any previous debate which had been up to the high order of the present one. (Labour laughter.) The Labour Party now said it did not want to waste time, but wanted to get 011 with the business. Mr. Seinple: Get 011 with your plan. Mr. Forbes said he hoped the result of Labour's action would be that the session would be completed within a reasonable time, but one was rather doubtful of Labour's attitude, as members of that party had been going up and down the country during tho recess making a lot of wild statements which wene unsupported by the facts. A Critical Examination The present debate enabled Government members to examine critically Labour's policy. The Hon. E. A. Eansom, on the previous evening, had torn that policy to shreds, and he had shown how impossible of realisation it was. If Labour members had any consciences, they must have been uneasy indeed after Mr. Ransom's examination of their plan. Continuing, Mr. Forbes said it had been suggested that the method of despatch of business in the House could be improved. It had been said that members of Parliament were the most unbusinesslike men in the country. Mr. Savage, in one of his recent speeches, had said there was an opinion abroad —or more correctly propaganda—that Parliament as an institution had outlived its usefulness, but Mr. Savage had said the fault was not with the machine, but with the people running it. Mr. Forbes considered that if anyone was responsible for lowering the reputation of Parliament, it was Labour members. The newspapers showed that all the debates were one-sided. They were all about Labour speeches. Mr. A. J. Stallwortby (Independent —Eden): Whose fault is that? Mr. Forbes: Not yours. You are worse than any other member in that respect. Mr.. A. M. Samuel (Independent— Thames): Surely he has a right to talk Arranging for Speakers Mr. Forbes suggested it might be possible to arrange for a certain number of sjieakers from each side, to be selected for participation in various debates. Men qualified on certain subjects would contribute to debates in which such questions were involved; It was the plan adopted in the House of Commons. Mr. Stallwortby: You would never speak, then. Continuing, Mr. Forbes said a committee might be set up, representative of Government, Labour and Independent Parties, and advised by Mr. Speaker, "to devise ways and means of carrying on business in a way which would enhance the reputation of Parliament. If Labour was genuine in its desire to get on with the business, such a committee should be useful, and the Government would welcome reform in that direction. It would then be in a position to give as much advance knowledge of legislation as possible.

Mr. Savage, in an interjection, said he had not given it as his own opinion that Parliament as an institution had outlived its usefulness. He had defended Parliament from beginning to end in his recent speeches and had never once referred to a Minister. • Mr. Forbes: That is so. Mr. F. Langstone (Labour —\Yaimarino): You have crayfished.

NATIONALITY LAW WOMEN'S RIGHTS PROTECTED [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday The British Nationality and Status o? Aliens (in New Zealand) Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day by the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Internal Affairs. The Minister said it conferred powers upon women to declare their nationality. The hill would bring the law into line with recent amendments made in Britain and go a little further. In a case where a husband changed his nationality, the wife would have the right to say whether she would remain a British citizen or adopt her husband's nationality. The bill was read a first time. WOMEN POLICE MRS. McCOMBS' ADVOCACY [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Thursday The question of appointing women police in New Zealand was revived by Mrs. E. K. McCombs (Labour —Lyttelton) in the House to-day when she gave notice to ask the Minister of Justice, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, whether he would introduce legislation this session to enable effect to be given to the proposal.