"PAIRS" IN PARLIAMENT

Chronicle (Levin), 27 June 1947, Page 7

"PAIRS" IN PARLIAMENT

' WELLINGTON, June 26. No finality has yet been reached 'on ' the question of the , eircumstances in which ' ' pairs ' * may be granted in the House of Representatives during this" session, but it is understood that the two party leaders are still negotiating. The question assumes partieular importance in view of the slender Government majority, the absence through illness of Mr. A. S. Richards (Government, Mount Albert), and the suggestion that the Governm'ent may consider. 'the amendment of* Standing Ord'ers to provide for proxy voting in cases of sickness. During the final session of the last Parliament, the granting of pairs was the subjeet of a conference between the party leaders with their Whips and an agreement was then reaehed that a pair should be grauted only by the consideration of each CRse on its-merits, the Opposition view being that not only the reason of a member's absence but also the measure on which a division is called should be taken into accouut. Despite a fairly widespreRd impression in the lobbies that the Opposition will refuse to grant pairs in any eircumstances this session, there appears to be -no reason to believe that the party wishes to depart.from the existing arrangement. It is doubtful, however, whether this view would exteud to the granting of a pair in the case of a meinber who is likely to be absent for the whoL of the session, as may be the case with Mr. Richards. The present arrangement was invoked on a number of occasions during last session when pairs were granted b\ the Opposition in cases of sickness aiui when the Minister of Justice (Mr. Mason) was attending the Peace Con f erence. One . such occasion was a division on a no-confidence motion. The outcome ' of the present nego tiations is awaited with interest as it is believed that both the Prime Min ister (Mr. Fraser) and the Leader oi the -Opposition (Mr. Holland) havc very definite but varying views on the question.