THE BUDGET PROPOSALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21405, 5 August 1931, Page 8

THE BUDGET PROPOSALS

A KEEN DEBATE EXPECTED ATTITUDE OF PARTIES AWAITED. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, August 4. The debate on the Budget which will be opened in the House to-morrow promises to provide an interesting commentary upon the financial proposals of the Prime Minister to balance the national accounts. The Reform Party’s adjourned caucus sat late this evening after the adjournment of the House, mainly for the purpose of deciding upon its line, of action in this debate. Either the party leader (Mr J. G. Coates) or Mr Downie Stewart will begin the discussion.

Opinion is understood to be widely divided at the Reform caucus which is one of the most important and one of the keenest that has been held for a long time. Several members insist that the Budget should be defeated as it stands, but the majority will probably favour the debate being allowed to proceed and approved in - principle. The taxation measures might produce different opinion. The Labour Party will meet in the morning to decide whether or not a no-confldence motion will be moved on the Budget debate should the Reform Party not take the initiative. Some of the members.of the Labour Party consider that a sufficient protest against the Government’s ineffectual proposals to handle a national emergency has already been voiced and that nothing is to be gained .by useless gestures of noconfldence in the face of certain defeat by the Reform and United combination. It might be- considered at the caucus, however, that here is an opportunity for a further protest and action may be taken accordingly. To force a dissolution at this stage would be an unpopular move and for this reason alone the Reform Party’s attitude will probably be more critical than decisive.