OPPOSITION ROUSED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20454, 6 November 1934, Page 12

OPPOSITION ROUSED.

Appropriation Bill Before the House. “OUTRAGE," SAYS MR SAVAGE. (“Star” Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, November 5. By introducing to-night the Appropriation Bill, which usually is the last cf the session, the Government incurred ; the wrath of the Opposition, especially i in view of the fact that urgency was j taken with the object of passing the | measure at the sitting. ! “You are not going to pass it to- | night, surely?” exclaimed Mr Savage when Mr Coates moved for urgency. Mr Coates: Yes. Mr Savage: This is certainly an outrage. Mr Coates: I do not want to commit an outrage. Forced to Division. The motion for urgency was forced to a division and was carried by 33 votes to 19. | Mr Coates said that last year there ! were very few speakers on the Appropriation Bill, but there was a reason why the Bill should be put through at the present time. Apart from that the Government was quite entitled to bring down the Appropriation Bill when it wanted to. Mr Langstone (Waimarino) : The reason is because you want to jettison some of the other legislation ? Mr Coates: No. It is our intention !to take the Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Bill on Wednesday. Mr Savage: What about the Cine- ! matograph Films Bill? Arc we going ! to let that go? : Mr Coates: I am not sure, i Mr Stallworthy (Eden): But it is i a departure from the usual custom, j Air Coates: There are reasons which I think you would agree with. Mr Langstone: And you can close | down once you get it through. Mr Coates: Oh yes. But we don’t intend to do that. To-morrow we will take the report of the Native Affairs Commission, and on Wednesday we will take the Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Bill and some other Bills. Mr Harris: The Film Bill is a very important Bill. Mr Coates: We have a number of important Bills, including a very important Company Law Amendment. The position as I understand it is that members are hoping to get the important business finished up so that they can get home. Mr Lee (Grey Lynn) was the first speaker to follow Mr Coates. lie said that it had been rumoured that certain big Sydney interests had had sufficient power to prevent the Film Bill being dealt with. Mr Coates: You might like to know that I have not had one communica- ' tion on the subject. Reason for Urgency. I It was learned late to-night that the ; reason for bringing the measure down j before the usual time was as an act :of courtesy to Lord Bledisloe, who j must sign the measure personally, and who intends to leave for Christchurch to attend the Agricultural Show. The 1 Governor-General made no request that this should be done, but it was felt that it would be a graceful act to permit him to visit the Show, in which he is keenly interested. This reason. I however, was not announced in the ; House and was unknown to members j of the Opposition.