PARLIAMENT ON THE AIR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22903, 10 June 1936, Page 10

PARLIAMENT ON THE AIR

COMPLAINT BY OPPOSITION POSTMASTER-GENERAL’S REPLY (From Qua Paruamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON. June 0. A reply to the remarks made hist night by Mr J. G. Coates (Opposition. Kaipara) concerning the broadcasting of parliamentary speeches was made by die Postmaster-general (Mr F. Jones) when moving the second reading of the Broadcasting Bill in the House of Representatives to-night. Mr Jones that that Mr Coates had inferred that Opposition members were not receiving fair treatment. Since the broadcasting of parliamentary debates had been instituted this session, however, the Government had had 19 speakers out of a total of 53 members, 13 Opposition members out of 19 had spoken, and the independents, who numbered six, had spoken eight times. “ If we said that every member had a right to speak once that means that 30 members on the Government side have not spoken while only six members of lie Opposition have not had that opporunity,” Mr Jones said. “The Independents have gained an advantage through being small in numbers. No one can S ay that we have treated the members of the Opposition unfairly. As a matter of fact, from a proportionate point of view they have received ihoro :hun they are really entitled to ”