UNBUSINESSLIKE METHODS IN PARLIAMENT

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 24, 23 August 1928, Page 5

UNBUSINESSLIKE METHODS IN PARLIAMENT

MR HOLLAND'S COMPLAINT OF LATE HOURS LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT'S TOTE. MOTION FOR REDACTION. WELLINGTON, Last Night. A protest against the "unbusinesslike" manner in which the House of Representatives did its business was made in the House of Representatives to-day by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr H. E. Holland). He complained of the late hours and said that if the House was going to continue to meet at 2.30 p.m. it should automatically rise at 10.30 p.m. To emphasise his point Mr Holland moved that the vote on the first item on the Estimates, £85,594 for the Legislative departments, be reduced by £lO. THE ONLY REMEDY. The Prime Minister said that if they looked back for the past 35 years they would find similar speeches had been delivered almost every year. Procedure and routine were' matters entirely in the hands of the House itself. They had a Standing Orders Committee, but time and time again that committee came without any recommendation to move. There must be long -hours if the Opposition persisted in opposing the measures of the Government. The only remedy for that was ithe introduction of the closure, and that was a matter requiring seri-

ou:s consideration. The present method might be somewhat tedious, buit; it made for caution and safety.

IJTr G. W. Forbes, Leader of the Nationalists, agreed that if they werle .going to have regular hours thej>| must have the closure. He suggested the calling together of Ithe ! Standing Orders Committee to see ; \if any improvement could be devised. He denied that the Opposition was any more responsible for jithe delay than the Government supporters, for the debates were can-led on by arrangement between all the parties, and all (the parties took,their share in the discussions. Mr E. P. Lee (Oamaru) said it was i inpossible for the Standing Orders Committee to meet during the sessidh and give the subject due consideration. lit must meet during tilae recess. He favoured the introduction of the closure and four or fivu year Parliaments. LIGHT HEARTED DISCUSSION, The' House on resuming at 7.30 p.m. continued to discuss the amendment -ivtihout saying very much about if*. At the supper adjournent they were still discussing it, each slide of the House light-heart-edly accusing the other side of wasting the 'time of Parliament and of the cou tutrty.

The Members continued, with a number of personal interludes, to discuss the question of whether the Standing Orders should or should not be amended, and at 1 «.m. were no nearer unanimity than they were at' 7.30 p.m. Up to 12.30 a.m. the Labour Party had freely participated in, the debate, and then Mr F. Waite indicated that as the House had been, kept up by Labour, Reform members were now going to keep, the'discussion going for some hours lonlger. The aiiriendenit was defeated by 43 votes 'to 16. Messrs Veitch Forbes, Ransom and Atmore voted with the Labour Party.