SESSION RESUMING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22975, 1 March 1938, Page 10

SESSION RESUMING

Parliament meets again to-day after the Christmas recess. It will not immediately face so extensive or important a programme of work as had been expected. The postponement of the health insurance and superannuation legislation—in itself a very good thing —has taken from the immediate prospect most of its importance and a great deal of its interest. Indeed, so far as the Government's programme has been revealed, there is little really significant legislation to be expected in the near future. If conditions in New Zealand allowed, Parliament might very well do as is done in Great Britain, receive the Budget in April and dispose of it before the end of that month. Such a course has obvious advantages, particularly that of allowing the main financial and taxation measures of the Government to be known early in the year, and giving everyone affected plenty of time to make provision for obligations to be met later. The method of accountkeeping in New Zealand makes this impossible. The year's accounts are seldom gazetted before the beginning of June, and even then all the requirements of the Audit Department have not necessarily been met. The Budget cannot very well appear until the accounts for the previous year have been officially revealed. In Britain they are published on April 1. Allowing for all circumstances, it does not seem likely there will be much to occupy members for the ensuing weeks they will spend in Wellington. They may find plenty to say, this being election year, but there is no virtue in talking for talk's sake. The cue for the Government is to shorten proceedings as much as possible, and give itself ample time for preparing the programme to be attacked later in the year.