PENDING LEGISLATION

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1930, Page 17

PENDING LEGISLATION

WORK FOR PARLIAMENT

- PRINCIPAL MEASURES . EARLY. BUSINESS TO BE EXPEDITED. (Special to News.) Wellington, June 11. Parliament will meet “for the dispatch of business” on June 26. The introduction of the Government’s main proposals at an earlier stage than usual will probably make the session one of the hardest in recent years for all concerned in the running of the legislative machine. The arrangement of the Government’s programme will be governed by the necessity for expediting the chief items of legislation, as well as the Address in Reply and Financial Debates, in order to allow the Prime Minister to leave for the Imperial Conference towards the end of August. The uneer-. Lain hold of the present minority Government on the Treasury benches makes it imperative, if Air. Forbes is to represent New Zealand at the Empire council table, that the present order of j administration be maintained until he, returns from the Old Country. The de-' feat of the Government after tlie Prime departure would deprive the Dominion of constitutional representation’at the conference. An early appeal may therefore be made to the House not to prolong unnecessarily the Address in Reply debate —usually taken at a leisurely pace to enable members gradually to settle down to sessional routine —so that the Financial Statement arid the most important Bills may be presented early. An understanding having been arrived at ensuring the stability of the Government while he is away, and the principal controversial issues having been disposed of, Air. Forbes will be able to leave for England with an easy mind. The Standing Orders were amended .some months ago to permit of the work of the House being transacted within reasonable hours, and in the 1929 session last trams and buses were frequently The change may not prove conducive to the prompt dispatch of business desired in the special circumstances of the coming session, and the, frequent suspension oi Standing Orders is probable. CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT. Tests as to whether the Government possesses the confidence of the House have become so customary that it may be taken for granted a motion of noconfidence will be an interesting feature of the Address in Reply debate. Political changed, during the recess and the recent reconstruction of the Cabinet are sure to inspire such a move from one or other of the opposition parties. United Party members do not appear to lie un- I easy as to the result. Much has been made in recent pre-sessional addresses by Labour members of the possibility of a general election this year or early next year, and broad hints have been given to, the Government to enact certain legislative reforms if it wishes to avoid, such a crisis.. In the United camp, and also amongst Reformers, there is a disposition to regard the plain speaking ,of Labour leaders as part of an organised campaign to beat up party funds for fighting an election at the end of the natural term of the present Parliament, towards the close of 1931. Some members discount the prospect of an early appeal to the country on the ground that an earnest attempt to ? capture control of the Treasury in a • year of depression is a remote possibility. Members of the United Party feci security in the irreconcilable differences between the two opposition - parties. Labour members have declared emphatically that they ■ M not be found voting against the Government in a want of confidence motion moved by Reform, and past practice suggests -that Reformers are not likely to follow into the division lobbies their fellow oppositionists of the cross-benches. The confident belief is also expressed in governmental circles that the Reform Party will demonstrate its practical sympathy ■ with the Prime Minister in view of the ; adverse financial outlook recently dis- i closed by.him. . < PRESENTATION OF BILLS. . j

It is not expected that the reconstructed Government will deviate widely from the main lines of legislation already promised by the Ward Cabinet, although" some changes in policy may be announced. Enough Bills have been foreshadowed to keep mem here going busily for the usual, duration of the second or main working session 6f' a Parliament—four or live months. Some

of the intentions expressed prior to March 31 may have since been subjected to further reflection, however, in the light of immediate financial considerations. Economic distress dictates a policy of prudence, and a keen-edged pruning knife ig being freely applied to the Estimates . for the current year. Similarly it may be supposed that legislative proposals involving increased expenditure are receiving the closest scrutiny by Cabinet. The possibility of increased : taxation has already been hinted at by Mr. Forbes, and the means by which he proposes to offset the threatened £3,000,000 deficit will be anxiously awaited by taxpayers. Social legislation will form an im-' portant part of the coming programme. One of the principal measures will be a Bill containing proposals for meeting unemployment with a permanent relief scheme. The Hon. W. A. Veitch, who was working on the Bill until Mr. S. G. Smith recently assumed the Labour portfolio, has indicated that its main principles will be somewhat similar to those recommended in the report of the Unemployment Investigation Committee, although the details may diverge. . It is expected that a contributory scheme similar to that outlined by the committee will be put forward, and that proposals will be made for borrowing money to provide for the first : year’s operations. MANY AMENDING MEASURES. Tiie recommendations of a recent Royal Commission will be the basis of ; legislation to improve the workers’ compensation law, and it is anticipated that part, at least, of the findings of the ExSoldiers’ Economic .Pensions Commission will be given effect to in another Bill. ! The main requisite of the latter is incorporating and enabling authority to give effect to the formation of the proposed Soldiers’ Civil Re-Establishment League. The Government also proposes to bring the shops and offices law up to date, and for that purpose a special committee has token enhaustive evidence.

Tlie long-delayed improvement in the education system, if it materialises in the coming session, is likely to give rise to lengthy debate. The Education Committee of the House of Representatives will meet shortly to draw up its final report. The greater part of the recommendations may be given effect to by regulation, without legislation being necessary.

The transport legislation deferred from last session will come up for further consideration, and opinion on this troublesome problem will no doubt be assisted by the report of the commission wliich has been set up to investigate the unsatisfa.etory financial position of the railways. The proposals of last year will be re-submitted in somewhat remodelled form. The Transport Department has been gathering all available information on the subject of traffic, for the guidance of the House. The department has been severely handicapped by the failure of the Legislature to pass the Bill last session, and it will be able to commence its work without restriction when tlie necessary statuI tory machinery is provided. -Many people anticipate the unsparing use of the knife in curtailing the defence vote, and that the compulsory training system may disappear. Opinion is likely to clash forcibly in the House on this subject. There is reason to believe that the Government does not propose to go as far as rumour has credited it with doing. WHERE OPINIONS MAY DIFFER. Some controversial measures held over from last session’s order paper may reappear. An immediate difference of opinion will occur if the Nurses and Alid wives’ Registration Amendment Bill is introduced, for it is plain that fhere Is by-no means agreement between hospital and nursing authorities on the subject of the training of nurses in private hospitals. Then there is the controversial question of rating on farm lands in boroughs. Il is probable that legislation will be submitted on the lines of the recommendations of the Industries and Commerce Committee last year for tlie purpose of doing away with the evils of the eash order trading system. A committee was appointed in March last to investigate the position of the State superannuation funds and report what action is necessary to place superannuation for tiie Public .Service on a sound footing. Should legislation bo deemed necessary, it will probably appear late in tiie session. So far the committee has not reported.

Consolidating measures which are due for introduction are designed to bring up to date the law governing education, and land drainage and river protection. It has been promised that teachers will be given the right of appeal in the matter of appointments, and this will bo given effect V in the reconstructed Education Act. It is also intended to adopt, with variations'- the n’ew English Companies Act.