ACTION DEFENDED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21861, 25 July 1934, Page 13

ACTION DEFENDED

MR. COBBE'S REPLY LABOUR ABUSE REGRETTED BEST INTERESTS OF COUNTRY [Br TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Tuesday A defence of the Government's action in seeking to extend permanently the life of Parliament from three years to four was made by the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister of Justice, when answering Labour criticism of the Electoral Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives this afternoon. The Minister said it seemed a pity that such an important debate could not be conducted without direct misrepresentation and concentrated bitterness. One expected that some argument would have been raised, but instead of that, abuse had been hurled across, the floor of the House. He did not think Labour members were so much concerned about four-year Parliaments as they were about having an opportunity to appeal to electors before conditions improved still further. Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour —Auckland Central): Give the people a chance to exercise their rights. Mr. Cobbe said he had sufficient confidence in the people to know that they realised that the Government was endeavouring to steer a course in the best interests of the country as a whole. What would be conditions to-day, he asked, if the Opposition had had the reins of office during the past three years ? Mr. Parry: They couldn't be much worse.

Mr. Cobbe: I compliment the honourable member on the economy he has displayed in the matter of truth. If the member for Grey Lynn (Mr. J. A. Lee) speaks outside tho House as he did in the Chamber this afternoon —

Mr. Speaker: I hope the honourable gentleman is not referring to something that has been withdrawn ?

Mr. .Cobbe: All I want to say, sir, is that if he speaks in that strain inside the House, what may wo expect from him when he speaks outside the House? Public men should be very careful of their utterances. Wild talk often leads to riots and trouble in the country. Continuing, the Minister said that during the debate there had been hints of bribery, but he had never known the liquor trade or any other body pay s's to get something done. New Zealand was slowly but steadily recovering from the effects of the depression, and the Government could claim some measure of credit, as it had not dissipated its energies in chasing wild and woolly schemes.

Mr. R. Semple (Labour —Wellington East): Innocents abroad.

Mr. Cobbe said it was the plain duty of the Government to carry on with the task it had undertaken in the interests of all sections of the community. It proposed to do that, notwithstanding threats and accusations by the Opposition. A three-year Parliament did not give the average member an opportunity to do justico either to his constituency or to the country.

£IOO BONUS RECALLED "A SESSIONAL ALLOWANCE MR. PARRY'S DEFENCE [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Tuesday Reference to the £IOO bonus voted by members of Parliament to themselves in 1929 caused an interesting passage at arms in the House of Representatives this afternoon. In protesting against the proposal to extend Parliament's life one year, Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour —Auckland Central) said the effect of such action would be that members would be paid for one year longer than they were entitled to, without again submitting themselves to the people. "We have no right to dip our fingers into the public Exchequer after the end of three years without consulting the electors," he declared. The Hon. A. 1). McLeod (Government—Wairarapa): Did the electors approve of you taking the extra £100? Mr. Parry: I took it, and so did you. A Voice: He was not in the House at that time. Mr. Parry: Yes, that is right. We cannot say whether he would have 'taken it or not, but he took the 25 per cent exchnnge without shivering. Fancy try nig to justify this bill on the ground that members voted themselves an extra £IOO to cover the cost of extra sessions. Mr. H. Atmore (Independent—Nelson) : It was a sessional allowance. Mr. Parry: I'm prepared to defend myself in that connection. POISONS BILL SECOND READING PASSED [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Tuesday The second reading of the Poisons Bill was moved by the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Health, in the House of Representatives to-night. The Minister said the present schedules were very much out of date, especially regarding certain potent poisons. The bill was read a second time. The first three clauses had been put through Committee when progress was reported.