SUPERANNUATION FAULTS

Chronicle (Levin), 11 October 1946, Page 6

SUPERANNUATION FAULTS

-Press Association

By Telegraph—

REMOVAL BY AMENDMENT BILL

WELLINGTON, Oet. 10. Mr. Nash, nioving th.e second reading of the Superannuation Amendment Bill, said the purpose of the measure was to remove • some minor faults in earlier legislation and to improve the wording of the existing legislation. The Bill would also remove anomalies which had been discovered. There were at present 8000 superannuitants, all of .whom would be affected. Mr. G. H. Mackley (Masterton) said the Bill was a fair example of the hurried high-pressure legislation of which the Opposition had been complaining in the last few days. It was mostly a Bill to patch up and rectify dofects in last year 's amending Bill. If the National Party became the Government it would promise- to bring down a consolidating measure for superannuation legislation, said Mr. M. -H. Oram. This drew from Government members cries of ''Blahl" and ''What a dreain! " Mr. Oram said that a consolidating measure would remove the outstanding sense of grievauce which many superannuitants had held for a considerable time and would place that legislation on a satisfactory basis. Mr. F. W. Doidge (Tauranga) adding his protest against the rush of logisla'tiomtlrat was-- bcing brought d'owil in almost the last hour of the session, said that the bulk of it had 'not been considered by members because of lack of time to sludy it thoroughly. Lobby gossip had it that a Finance Bill would be brought blown tomorrow which contained hiost important projmsals, and gossip said that in the last dcsperate throw of 'tlie dice the Government was going to reduce tlio wages tax by sixpence in the pound. Mr. Nash, replying to the second readings, said that the Superannuation Bill restored to teachers the privileges they had before. Some of them were inadvcrtently taken away by the 1945 legislation. The Minister said that arrangements for a consolidating measure had "already been made. Mr. Algie: We will flnish it. Mr. Nash said there had been a tremendous ainount of work done on a consolidating measure and that a Bill would be brought down next year. It had been on the way for the last sixteen years. The present Bill did give superannuitants something moro than they thought they would receive. The Bill was put through the remaining stages and passed.