FINAL SESSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23542, 4 July 1938, Page 10

FINAL SESSION

WORK OF PARLIAMENT CONSIDERATION OF BUDGET SOCIAL SECURITY PROPOSALS (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 3. The House of Representatives is now fairly launched on the final session of the present Parliament and with the Address-in-Reply debate well under way it should not be long before members get down to serious business, especially as the electioneering campaign lies ahead at no distant date. Consideration of the Budget and the Estimates constitutes the greater part of the routine work, and apart from the Social Security proposals and the Education Amendment Bill the legislative programme is certain to be a short one.

An indication that the Address-m-Reply debate will not occupy so much time as it has in recent years is given by the fact that, apart from the mover and seconder, none of the members who have spoken so far have received or indeed have sought extensions of time. After that commendable start it is doubtful whether any future speakers will feel inclined to go beyond their time, and even if they have ideas in that direction a corrective will no doubt be applied by Mr D. McDougall, Independent member for Mataura, whose dislike for long speeches has frequently been expressed in his refusal to agree to extensions. It is probable that this debate will last for the better part of a fortnight, after which the Budget is due to' be introduced by the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash). The Budget debate, which gives another opportunity for members to talk on a wide range of subjects and, incidentally, allows them twice as long as they receive on the Address-in-Reply, will follow quickly and will be succeeded by another lengthy period on the Departmental Estimates, which, in election year, may be a little prolonged. It is not possible yet to estimate when the social security legislation will come before the House, but the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) has given the assurance that only that and the Education Amendment Bill and other absolutely essential Bills will be considered. The work of Parliament may be expedited to some extent by sitting longer hours and on extra days, but even at that it seems that a full three months will be required. Present indications are for a short election campaign.