FINANCE BILL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26532, 6 August 1947, Page 8

FINANCE BILL

ALL STAGES PASSED OPPOSITION PROTEST Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, Aug. 5. A protest at the .inclusion of amendments to the Death Duties Act in the Finance Bill was made by Mr M. H. Oram (Oppn., Manawatu), during the committee stage on the Bill in the House of Representatives to-day. He said part of the Bill was devoted to these amendments and another part to amendments to the National Provident Fund Act. Amendments of such a nature should have been brought down as separate Bills. Mr J. T. Watts (Oppn., St. Albans), who supported the protest, asked if the Government intended to bring in a Consolidation of Death Duties Act and its amendments. The whole of this legislation, he said, was very complicated. He also asked when it was proposed to amend the general scale of death duties. He had seen some very small estates paying large death and succession duties. Mr A. M. Finlay (Govt., North Shore) said it was quite proper for amendments to the Death Duties Act to be dealt with in the Finance Bill. It caused no difficulty at all. The Minister of Customs, Mr Nash, said he did not think there was any chance this session of consolidation of death duties legislation. That would take some time. He thought some consideration might be given to duties on small estates which created hardship. He did not think that could be done now.

The Bill was put through the remaining stages and passed.