PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22326, 28 July 1934, Page 20

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

NOTES FROM PRESS GALLERY (Fbov Ode Paruamentabt Repomeb.) WELLINGTON, July 27. MR SEMPLE’S CHALLENGES. Challenges to resign his seat and to recontest it or to contest some other seat with an approved opponent are frequently made by Mr R. Semple. On one occasion he offered to stand for Auckland East against Mr J. B, Donald, while more recently Mr Semple expressed his willingness to resign his own seat —Wellington East —and re-contest it with a Wellington newspaper editor. Mr Semple was again in a challenging mood in the House of Representatives to-day during the debate on the Electoral Amendment (date of general election) Bill. While Mr J. A. Hargest (Invercargill) was speaking Mr Semple interjected; “Will you resign your seat and contest It with some Labour man?” Mr Hargesti NO, I will not resign, and neither will you. Mr Semple; I will resign and meet you in your electorate right now. Mr Hargest; That sort of challenge is childish. Mr Semple; You haven’t the courage. Mr Poison asked whether Mr Semple’s remark was in order, and at the Speaker's request Mr Semple withdrew the remark. A DULL DEBATE* The effects of last night's late sitting were apparent in the House of Representatives this afternoon. The proceedings were somewhat dull and even Mr Savage's Electoral Amendment BUI, which seeks to secure a general election at the end of this year, failed to arouse the dormant enthusiasm of the Labour Party. THE FINANCE BILL. ' The Finance Bill dealing with tho Reserve Bank, the Banks IndCmity ( Act and other matters, was presented for its second reading when the House assembled last cveping, and the House rose at 3.10 a.m. to-day after putting the Bill through all its stages. The Legislative Council did not meet to-day but the Bill will be dealt with by that chamber when it resumes on Tuesday. The legislation must reach the statute book before Wednesday, August 1, as the Reserve Bank will begin operations on that date. The debate on the committee stages of the Bill early this morning revived the old controversy about State control- of the bank. An unsuccessful effort to bring the bank virtually under the control of the Government was made by the Leader of tho Opposition (Mr Savage) who sought to amend the Bill to provide for the appointment of governor and deputy-governor by the Governor-General-in-Council. This would, Mf Savage explained, have the effect of giving State control of the directorate by five votes to four. The debate was given a touch of brightness when the Labour Party twitted the “study circle —a group of Coalition members who pressed for a similar amendment when the original Reserve Bank Bill was before the House last year—charging them with inconsistency and worse. ’■ ■ - MEAT CONTROL BILL.

This afternoon’s sitting was mostly taken up with the dying debate on Mr Poison’s Meat Export Control Bill, several speakers, including Mr J. Connolly, joining Mr Poison in emphasising the danger of the operations of overseas meat exporting concerns in New Zealand. Mr Poison agreed to withdraw his Bill after the Minister of Agriculture (Mr C. E, Macmillan) had assured him that the Government would incorporate its provisions in the Government measure to be brought down this session. LIFE OF PARLIAMENT. Discussion on Mr Savage’s Electoral Amendment (Date of General Election) Bill was stifled by the Electoral Amendment Bill introduced by the Prime Minister earlier in the week. The extension of the life of Parliament was thoroughly threshed out oii Tuesday. Mr Savage spoke at length to-day of the unconstitutional nature of the action both in extending its own life and in extending the life of future Parliaments, and Mr Forbes, replying, claimed that the Government,, required four years to bring its programme to a successful conclusion. ,