COMMITTEE OF HOUSE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26416, 21 March 1947, Page 4

COMMITTEE OF HOUSE

A FULL DISCUSSION OPPOSITION PROPOSAL p.A. CHRISTCHURCH, Mar. 20. A suggestion that a special committee of the House of Representatives should be set up to consider the North Island electric power situation was made to the Government to-day by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland. Making this suggestion in a telegram to the senior Minister at present in Wellington, Mr Sullivan, Mr Holland said that had Parliament been sitting he would have taken steps to ensure that the matter was. fully discussed. The telegram stated: “I am informed that the Prime Minister is visiting centres of Maori population, and that the Minister of Works is also absent from Wellington, so I desire to make the following representations to the Government through you, as senior Minister in Wellington. From many parts of. New Zealand, but particularly from the. North Island, I have received strong representations concerning the grave crisis existing in connection with the supply of electricity. The representations are that the gravest interference with the smooth and efficient running of both primary and manufacturing industries is being experienced, and a serious reduction in output is inevitable, especially in those industries where continuous supplies of power are essential.

“ I have also received representations to say that many thousands of housewives are being hindered and handicapped by the irregularity and low power of the electric supply. Had Parliament been in session, as it should be, I should have taken steps to ensure that the whole question was fully discussed in the House so that the public would have known the facts of the situation. In the absence of the opportunity for public discussion in Parliament I therefore urge that a committee of equal representation—l suggest six from each side of the House—be. convened immediately to meet in Wellington to consider the whole facts associated with the crisis and to decide what is best to do to remedy matters and to avoid a repetition in the future.”