DOMINION PARLIAMENT

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19124, 8 December 1933, Page 2

DOMINION PARLIAMENT

GOVERNMENT REVERSE. defeat on- urgency MOTION, f-~. -r-rfl 4£R HEAIiY’S GAMING BILL, - priority criticised. <bv Telegraph.—Press Association.) * WELLINGTON, Thursday. An endeavour by the prime Minister, the Rt- Hon. G. W. Forl) ®®’ J secure urgency for the of the Gaming Amendment Bill producedl an interesting series of incidents, minating with the first O efeat f a ..jj ; ? ernment motion fflr years, in the House # of Representatives this a * tern °° ; The loudest cheering and most Jig! orous applause heard In the Hou * recent times greeted the Speaker s an--1 nouncement that the m °tio for the bill had been defeated ?. b? 36 votes to 34. Above the tumult and laughter, Labour members ex 2 claimed: “Resign!” .... „ amP 1 The first opposition to the bill cam } when Mr Forbes moved that consideraV tion Of Parliamentary papers should > be postponed until after the Order Mr P Fraser (Labour —Wellington ( Central)' protested against thlsproposal, declaring that the Prime MinfeI ter was trifling with the House He asked whv the Gaming Amendment I Bill! promoted by Mr E. F. Healy (Govl ernment—Wairau) should be considl ered before, for instance, the Meat ; Control Amendment Bill promoted b. Mr \V. J. Poison (Government Stratford), which had been introduced on the first day of the session. He further contended the mdtion would deprive the House of the opportunity of discussing departmental reports. “ Require Close Scrutiny.” “And I might pause here to observe,” said Mr Fraser, "that they apparently require discussion and close scrutiny.” Mr.E. J. Howard (Labour —Christchurch South): Hear, hear. That a the point. For two hours members spoke in opposition to the Prime Minister s motion, submitting instances of business which, in their opinion, should precede consideration of the Gaming Amendment Bill. Replying, Mr Forbes said the Gaming Amendment Bill had only three clauses and could be dealt, with in one f hour if members would allow it to go to a division. The fact that a minority could prevent the bill from reaching a decisive stage was damaging to the preßtige of Parliament. It . , seemed there were a number of memS bers who desired to speak one way, but did not desire to vote that way, and who, therefore, used every endeavour to prevent a division being “ I don’t care what happens to this bill," said Mr Forbes, “ but let us get to a division on it and then get on with our business." Mr Poison, rising to a point of order, asked why his bill should be 29th. on the Order Paper when the Gaming Amendment Bill, on which there had been other opportunities for discussion, was again placed first. “I don’t objeot to this bill being dealt with, he said, “but 1 want fair play for mine. My bill has only one clause and could he disposed of in two minutes. It has already been approved by a committee of this House.” Protest Voiced. Mr Forbes said responsible organisations throughout New Zealand had asked for an opportunity to be given for Parliament to deal decisively with the Gaming Bill. “ That is why It at the top of the Order Paper, he said. Mr Forbes added that he had received no such representations in favour of Mr Poison’s bill. The motion to postpone consideration of papers was then carried. The Prime Minister then moved for urgency for the Gaming Bill and was greeted with cries of protest. Mr Fraser, on a point of order, asked whether Mr Forbes was moving for urgency In a private capacity or as a member of the Government. Mr Forbes said he was acting as a member of the Government. Members: Then this is a GovernThe Speaker said he was afraid the stipulation that reasons should be given was more honoured in the breach than in the observance. If the motion were ruled out, it was quite clear the Prime Minister would simply move for urgency again, and give reasons for doing so. Ho thought the position could best be met by the Prime Minister stating reasons Mr Forbes: I wish to see Parliament In a position to function as Parliament so that the bill, when it Is before the House, will not ho pievented from reaching a division by those who desire to prevent division being taken. 1 think it is in the pubUo interest that any public matter Submitted to Parliament should be allowed to come to a decisive stage. I have given an undertaking to those important organisations which have approached me that that will be done Sir \V Nash (Labour —Mutt), on a further point of order, explained that he had been paired with Mr H. D. Dlotie (Government —Patea) on the Gaming Bill. Mr Dickie was not in the House, and he asked what was his own position should he vote on the motion before the House. The Speaker said lie could not advise Mr Nash on that point, lie would have* to leave it to the member’s own conscience. Mr Nash voted in favour of the motion, as Mr Dickie had Intended to vote. „ . . How They Votod. Eight Government members and blx Independents Joined with the Labour Party to defeat the urgency motion. The Government members concerned wero Messrs Anscll, Hawke, Holland, ’ Kyle. Lye, McSkimming, Poison and Stewart. The division list was as follows : For the Motion (3i).—Bitchencr, Bodkin, Broadfoot, Campbell, Ciinknr(] Coates, Cobbe, Connolly, Perrello, Enriean, Field, Forbes, Hamilton, Hars:csi, Healy, Holyoake, Jull, Linklater, Macmillan,' Macphorson, J. N. Massey, Murdoch, J. A. Nash, W. Nash, Ngata, Hansom. Reid, Smith. A. Stuart, Sykes. To Tomo, Veitch, Williams, young. . (.Continued, to next cflßunnj,

Against the Motion (36). —Ansel], Armstrong, Atmore, Barnard, Carr, Chapman, Coleman, Fraser, Hawke, Holland, Howard, Jones, Jordan, Kyle, Langstone, Lee, Lye, McCombs, McKeen, McSkimming, Mason, Munro, Parry, Poison, Richards, Rushworth, Samuel, Savage, Schramm, Semple, Stallworthy, W- D. Stewart, Sullivan, Tirikatene, Webb, Wright. >• -y,. : - BILL WITHDRAWN. DECISION BY MR HEALY. (Bv Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. As a sequel to the vote in the House on the urgency motion Mr E. F. Healy (Government —Wairau) asked for leave in the House this evening to withdraw his Gaming Amendment Bill. In making the request Mr Healy said he wished to ■ thank the Prime Minister, Mr Forbes, for his action in carrying out his word to the repiesentatives of the racing and trotting conferences, the country racing clubs, racing men and members of the public who had signed the petitions presented to the House on the subject. > The bill was thereupon withdrawn.

The objects of the bill were to permit the working of the double totalisator, the telegraphing of investments to the totr.ffsator and the publication of dividends. Numerous bills on similar lines have been before the House in recent years and have consistently been ’’ stonew T alled ,by those opposed to their objects.

UNUSUAL INOIDENT.

REMARKS RESENTED. MR POLSON FLOORS QUESTIONER WELLINGTON, Thursday. As he leit tue nouse to-day after voting against the motion for urgency on the Gaming Amendment Bill, Mr W. J. Poison (Government- —Stratford) encountered Mr 11. R. Sellers, secretary of the New Zealand Racing Conference, In the lobby, and, after a few words had been exchanged, he knocked Mr Sellers to the ground. At the time, Mr Poison did not know who it was he struok. Subsequently, the two men met and exchanged apologies—Mr Sellers for the remark he made, and Mr Poison for the action he took, which he admitted was somewhat hasty. The Incident came on top of the mild demonstration in the House when the Prime Minister’s motion for urgency for the bill was defeated. After the motion had been rejected, Mr Poison loft the chamber, angered at the unjust treatment which he considered the Prime Minister had given his own bill, the Meal Export Control Bi According to members who saw the scene, Mr Sellers, who had been sitting in a seat on the floor ol the House, expressed indignation at the way Air Poison had voted, and said It would bo used against him at election time. Mr Poison resented this, and, when a further remark was mado, Mr Poison knocked Mr Sellers to the .ground. Mr Poison admitted to-night that he had been somewhat hasty, but ho explained that he had had to put up with a great deal, in the House and was not in tho best humour to put up with the remarks that were made to him. Mr Poison said lie had met Mr Sellers and they had exchanged apologies. “Wo shook hands and buried the hatchet.” said Mr Poison, “ ami for both of us the incident is closed."