DELAY IN PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1935, Page 7

DELAY IN PARLIAMENT

NEXT BILL NOT READY REHABILITATION OF FARMERS. * ADJOURNMENT TILL TUESDAY. SICKNESS IN DRAFTING OFFICE. (By Wire—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. After showing signs of faltering for the last few days the Government’s legislative programme collapsed temporarily to-night and the House is now in adjournment until 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Parliament has been in session for over three weeks and it has passed only one Bill, and that a measure of relatively minor importance dealing with bondholders’ rights, and completed the committee stages of the Mortgage Corporation Bill. Bridging the gap between the final stage of the Mortgage Bill and the introduction of the “mystery” measure for the rehabilitation of farmers, the Broadcasting Amendment Bill was submitted, but the second reading debate of this Bill, to which the House devoted its attention to-day, proved to be an ineffective timespinner and was maintained with obvious difficulty. It had already been announced that the committee stages, would not be taken until the Minister had heard representations from deputations on Friday, and after the death-rattle of the debate sounded at 11.15 to-night Mr. Forbes was obliged to confess to the House that a hiatus had occurred and the Government was not ready with its. next business. Accordingly he obtained an adjournment until next Tuesday. _ The only comment from the Opposition was that of Mr. E. J. Howard, who murmured, “You might have told us before 7 o’clock” (presumably meaning that had members known in advance of the development they could have made the southern boat and northern train connections to their constituencies). COST GOES ON. During the Parliamentary session the cost goes on irrespective of whether the House is sitting or not, as the staffs have to be retained and the normal services provided. Thus the country will foot the bill for the-adjournment. Cynics, on the other hand, suggest that while Parliament is silent, even if it be for five days only, the country has that additional amount of freedom from apprehension and that amount of enjoyment of stability.

Rank and file members are not at all pleased that the break has occurred, since they realise fully what the reaction to it in the constituencies will be. They consider the Government should have taken steps to so arrange its programme that gaps would not occur and that the whole of the business could have been disposed of in five straight weeks.

The Prime Minister’s explanation of the delay as given to the House when asking for the extended adjournment was this: “Owing to the fact that we have' not been able to get the other Bill, the one complementary to the Mortgage Corporation Bill dealing with the rehabilitation of the farming industry, we have decided to adjourn until Tuesday afternoon, When I can now definitely promise the House will get the Bill.

“Owing to the fact that one of the members of the staff of the law drafting office has had to go into hospital for an operation a good deal of additional work has been thrown on Mr. Christie, the law ciraftsman. It has been a difficult Bill to draft and has taken far longer than was anticipated, but it will be completed and will be ready for introduction by Tuesday. We will go on with that Bill on Tuesday.” Replying to a question Mr. Forbes said that if it was the wish of the House he might instead go on with the Broadcasting Bill/ Mr. Hamilton having intimated that he would be ready to proceed with the committee stages then. Mr. Howard: You might have told us about this before 7 o’clock to-night. Mr. Forbes: We did not know then. He added that the reason for not meeting until 3.30 p.m. was to enable the members to attend the farewell luncheon to Lord Bledisloe.