Interesting Weeks Ahead Of Parliament

Chronicle (Levin), 15 August 1949, Page 4

Interesting Weeks Ahead Of Parliament

Press AssopiatiQn)

(Pe.

WELLINGTON, August 14. The most interesung wfielc of tjie sossion which so far has been indescribably dull, lies ahead of parlig' ment. Tlie -\veek is expeeted tp start sedately with a continuatiop of the discussion on the lioyal Conimissiog on the shoep fanning industry on Tuesday afteruoon but the tempo will be accelerated on Wednesiday when the Leader of the Upposition !a priyate meiuber 's Bill aimed'at tlie abolition of the Legislative Council, will conie up for its seeond reading. The week will be eapped by the presentation. of the. fourteentlx Labouf Bxi'dget at 7.30 on.Thurs-. day n.ight, lf thq House disposes of the slioep discussiop On Tuesday afteruoon, it will go on with the seeond reading of the OcGupational Therapy Bill anl the Coalniines Apiendment i '* Bill. There are four vital niatters w'hich e'apnot be long postponed by a Parliauient which has marked timo with painfiil verbiage for niauy weeks. The iirst is the Budget, the date for which has been settled. "Ihe npxt ave two most important Bills, the Military Training Bill and Gaining Bill which ci.ild l,e introduced this week.. Last ait pot least is the Minister of Fin.n, e's report to the House ou tho BHtsh L'omiuoiiwealth linance diseussions ,ist month, This is likely to steal ihe .,nule thunder of the Budget. While M r. Nash is expeeted to present a highly interesting Budget, inYiuding higher age benefits, wai* pen310ns benefits and the possibility of a reduction in taxation, the real prohlem is fiow New Zealand Will contribute its "share in helping * Commonwealth countries in cutting down dollar expendi-

citre. This problem was discussed at a ! 'lUiichtinie meeting of Cahinet on I'Tiday but it is understoocl no concrete ! decisions were niade. A further dis-.-ussion is to be held on Tuesday when J it is expeeted decisions will be made • on what direct cuts in dollar spendipg New Zealand will make. J Mr, Nash had hoped to be able to present his report to the House before r. -the Budget but this is now impossible. He; is now faced with the probability. of interrupting the fiudget debate to " present the dollav report which is likeiy- d'o distraet all Opposition criticism ' • ,0 tlie Budget provisions. While the spotiight is on the Budget, • • it niay turn out that the most intereHtmg provisions will be in the Gavernuent 's dollar- cuts decisions. I ' The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. ? lolland, has seored a notable political pomt in resurreeting the Legislative Council Abolition Bill but he has no 3. dlusions that the Bill will be aliowed 3 co get a fair and untrariimelled spin in ® the" hqusq. He realises that the Govern- ^ ment has power to sidetraek the whole p Issue on the grounds of Parliamentary ' procedure but alreadv he has euceeeded iu putting the Government on the spot i at a time at which it least wants it. Mr. Fraser and his colleagues already v liave- faced^ a split in their own. pa.rty 9 with the series of resignations over the *l -Qinpulsory training issue, coupled with e the showdown on the waierfront. With 3 typical astuteness Mr. Fraser is bouud 9 to.rise to tho oeeasion by fobbing olf )• Mr. Holland's Bill but it is only anitlier headache at the most t.roublesome ^ time in the history of the Labour ■** Party. In' a delightfully ironic speech, Mr. ^ Holland on Friday lined up severai ^ likely supporters. These include what e he facetiousiy described as the "inde- ^ pendent group" cousisting of Mr. F J.angstone, M.P. for Roskill, and pose sibly Mr. P. Kearins (Government. — Waimarino). There is little doubt that ■T Mr. Langstone would vote in favour of Mr. Holland's Bill — if it ever got that iS t'ar — but Mr. Kearins inav find a way 0 out. L Nevertholoss, Mr. Fraser is likely to n avoid a direct vote and the tactieai victory will still lie with Mr. Holland. L§ The'political scene is livening up and y most interesting developments can be expeeted in the next few weeks. is 1