The Wanganui Chronicle. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1945. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 268, 13 November 1945, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1945. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

D EB ATES in the House of Representatives of late have been more spirited than usual, and it is clear that the members of the Chamber are becoming jaded. Are they being overworked? For some time their attendances in the House have been long and they have also been engaged in long-week sessions requiring members to remain in Wellington every other week-end. Further, the legislation which has been introduced has been highly contentious and this has had the effect of generating frictions. Taken all-in-all it is probable that the best ends of the country would be served by the House going into recess much earlier - than is at present intended. A tired House cannot function properly, and when that is the. ease the result is registered in faultily drawn legislation.

When Parliament lacks efficiency the results must be carried by the whole country. It is, therefore, the country’s business to see that its Parliament does not deteriorate in anjr marked degree. There are, of course, many members whose contributions to the debates are not particularly bright, at any time, revealing more than anything else the confusion of thought of the speakers. These have to be endured in any case, but a jaded House must find such speeches the more trying than does the public when listening over the radio.

During this period of deterioration in the atmosphere of the House the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. G. Holland, has emerged in a manner which must be highly satisfactory to himself and to his Party. When one of those periodic “scenes” occurs, the House, almost instinctively turns to him to straighten out the difficulty. On two occasions in recent weeks he has seized the initiative and found a way out of an impasse. Government members look to him to hold the JJouse together and their very complaints that he has allowed the House to get out of hand are a compliment to his prestige. It is probably unique in the parliaments of the Commonwealth that the Leader of the Opposition should also find himself acknowledged the real, although unofficial, leader of the House.