PARLIAMENTARY SESSIONS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29499, 28 April 1961, Page 15

PARLIAMENTARY SESSIONS

Ten-Mon th Sittings Suggested Rushed legislation could be avoided if Parliament sat for 10 months of the year instead of four, the secretary of the Canterbury Council for Civil Liberties (Mr W. Rosenberg) said at a meeting of the council last evening. “They get paid for every day of the year, so why should they not work for it,” he said. “Of course I know that they do other things. They open bazaars and important things like that, and good members of Parliament keep in touch with the persons in their electorate.” “The only thing that I can say to that, is that I applaud it.” said Professor H. R. Gray. The council’s discussion had been on the question of having an Upper House. “There is a lack of fundamental discussion in Parliament.” said the president (Mr L. Efford). “Under party government the real decisions are made beforehand, in caucus. If we had a second chamber elected on a oronortional representative basis it would be able to air the big issues.” Dr. W. Metcalf said that sometimes quite fundamental issues were dealt with as trivial matters and a temporary expedient followed. “The problem of making legislators believe that they are dealing with serious matters is beyond my power.” said Professor Gray. Professor Gray said that in the matter of the Manapouri legislation he was quite convinced that 79 out of the 80 members of Parliament had no real conception of what they were legislating about.

Unusual Complaint An unusual item on the monthly list of complaints presented at a meeting of the Petone Borough Council recently was a complaint about elephants. The borough inspector (Mr V. Abraham) ex. plained that when Wirth’s Circus was in the area a stray elephant in search of pastures new, stretched its trunk over the boundary fence of the North Park and demolished some roses arid vegetables in a neighbouring garden. The complaint had been passed on to the circus, said the Town Clerk (Mr H. Lang).