THE SESSION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 247, 30 July 1937, Page 3

THE SESSION

OPENING DATE NOT FIXED. . NATIONAL HEALTH AND SUPERANNUATION. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 29. Although no definite date has yet been fixed for the opening of the next session of Parliament, an indication that the House would be called together about the end of August or early in September was given by the Prime Minister (the lit. Hon. M. J. Savage) this evening. Mr Savage said the major policy measures would be Bills dealing with national superannuation and national health insurance, and if it was found necessary to continue the session into the early, part of next year that would be done. Before the commencement of the session Mr Savage intends to visit as many parts of the Dominion as possible, and to explain to the people the Government’s legislative programme, and to inform them of what has been accomplished by their representatives on their mission overseas. He will visit Auckland to meet the Minister for Finance and Marketing (the Hon. W. Nash) on the latter’s return by the Mataroa on August 12. Business for Cabinet. Mr Savage said members of Parliament would not be called together until there was something for them to do. From now until the session the Cabinet would be busy with business connected with the preparation of legislation for Parliament. The Budget would be introduced as soon as possible after the Address-in-Reply debate had been disposed of. The legislation dealing with national superannuation was going to take serious consideration. It could not be dealt with in a slipshod manner. Much material dealing with these schemes had been collected by Mr Nash, who had had talks with representatives of other nations to see what they had accomplished in national superannuation and national health insurance.

As soon as the legislation dealing with national superannuation and national health insurance was in shape, and in the necessary legal form, it would bo introduced without delay. Such legislation would be too far-reach-ing to be skimped over. Asked \if there would be legislation arising out of his and Mr Nash’s mission overseas, Mr Savage said he was not in a position to say whether there would or not at the moment, but it was quite possible that trade agreemight require legislation of some form.