THE SESSION

Southland Times, Issue 21427, 23 June 1931, Page 7

THE SESSION

OUTLINE OF BUSINESS SPECIAL UNEMPLOYMENT MEASURES DEBATE NEXT WEEK (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 22. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, interviewed to-day concerning the forthcoming session, stated that Bills were to be presented dealing with unemployment, transport and brewery licenses, and he announced that the Trading Coupons Bill of last session, prohibiting the issue of trading coupons after a specified date, would bo proceeded with. The question of ownership and control of radio broadcasting stations requires to be decided, as the Broadcasting Company’s license expires on December 31 next and any alteration in the present system will require to be effected by Act of Parliament. Questioned concerning the arragement of business at the opening of the session, the Prime Minister said he desired to get the preliminaries over quickly so that the real work of Parliament could be facilitated He hoped to have the Imprest Bill passed before this weekend, as it was necessary to vote supply to Government departments before the end of the month, and special measures for carrying on unemployment relief would probably be laid before the House on Friday next. The debate on the Bill could be commenced at the beginning of next week. He did not anticipate any difficulty in getting the legislation through, as all parties agreed on the necessity of meeting the position as quickly as possible. He did not expect that the Address-in-Reply debate would be unduly lengthy. Mr Forbes considered that the session would run about the usual length of time, and hoped to get the Government’s financial proposals down before the end of July. The Transport Bill would be referred to a committee of the House for the hearing of evidence. Legislation would also be introduced embodying the recommendations of the committee which reported recently on the question of better and safer buildings to resist earthquake. Referring to the proposals for the formation of a National Government, Mr Forbes said: “I am still open to discuss the matter with the Leader of the Opposition, and I am quite willing to confer with him if he expresses such a desire.”