THE GALLERIES OF THE HOUSE
SHOULD THEY BE OPEN TO BOTH SEXES?
(P.A.) Parliament Bldgs. Nov. 14 In the House of Representatives today, Mr. W. M. C. Denham (Govt., Invercargill) reported on behalf of the Public Petitions Committee on a petition asking that, the galleries of the House of Representative should be opened to men and women to enable them to sit together. The committee referred to the Government for most favourable consideration the suggestion that in the present ladies’ gallery and men’s gallery seating accommodation should be provided for both sexes.
Mr. Denham said the original petition asked that husbands and wives should be allowed to sit together in the galleries, but the petitioner had made it clear to the committee that he wished a wider interpretation to be given to the petition to enable members of both sexes to sit together, and that was what the committee recommended.
Mr. Denham said the present requirement that women should be segregated from men in the galleries of the House dated back to 1864. No one seemed to know the reason for it and the committee was unanimous that a change was due. The committee proposed that, for the oresent, the two public galleries should be made available to men and women, while Mr. Speaker's gallery and Mr. Speaker’s ladies’ gallery would, for the present, remain separate. The Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Holland, supporting the committee s recommendation, said it was a step in the right direction and might later be extended io the remaining galleries of the House. Miss Mabel Howard (Govt., Christchurch East) said the committee was doing, bit. by bit. what should have been done in one step. There should not be a privilege for one sex in any gallery of the House. Miss Howard suggested the gallery on the floor of the House should also be available to women.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, said the committee’s recommendation was an interesting one, and would have the Government’s careful attention.
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Bibliographic details
Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 271, 16 November 1945, Page 6
Word Count
333THE GALLERIES OF THE HOUSE Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 271, 16 November 1945, Page 6
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