Speculation About Future Of Upper House

Chronicle (Levin), 2 December 1949, Page 4

Speculation About Future Of Upper House

WELLINGTON, Dec. 1. • Qxie of t'he rnost inteT.estiijg xeauTfs of last night 's election is reflected ih ■spgcnl^tion hciag voi.ced about Parliaiuent House today Tegarding the future of the Legislative Council. First it is g.enerally agreed that the Upper House is in no imroediate danger of aholition. It is pointed out that the House has no set nunxber of members and that it has been as high as 53 and as low as 18. Though it is eustornary to niaintain the Chamber'at approxunately half thesmembership of the House of Representatives, today the luembership is down to 31. Mueh will depend on whether Mr. Holland, when he beeomes Prime Minister, calis Parliament together early or late. If he decides to hold a session in February as most Parliamentary obseryers believe likely, thpn he will have an Upper House which is largely opposed to his poliey. He will have to select a Speaker Vjrho possiblv wiH he Hon. T, 0. Bisbop, a fprmer secretary of the Employers' Association and their advocate on the Arbitration Court, with Rir William Pery as possible Leader of the House. The chairmanship of committees would probably fall to Hon. Frederick Waite. Howover, having appointed these officers, the National Party would be stid in a minority beeause at the moment there are 26 Labour members of the House co'mpared with iive I Nationalists. Of course, there are the three seats of dead members to be filled if hc .CUTCS — fhose of the late Hons. G. R. Hunter, J. K. Areher and W. McTntyre. On Mareh 8 next at miduight, the terms'expire of Hons. Bernard Martin, present Speaker, Michael Oonnelly, ehairman of committees, Mark Briggs, B. C. Robins, T. F. Doyle, Rangi Mawhete and T. O. Bishop, of whom the only likely reappointment will be Hon. Bishop. Mr. Holland 'has pledged himself to the abolition of the Legislative Council 'but this does not mean he will act immediately to secure his expressed wishes. In Wellington Parliamentary observers are inclined to think that Mr. Holland will have too many other problemsyfacing solution for hiui :o worry about the Upper House unless the Legislative Council interferes with his legislative plans. If that happens then he will have to faee up to the situation and select sufficient supporters for membersliip of the Council to vote it into oblivion. In any ease it seertis that the days of the Legislative Council are drawing to an end though that end mav be somewhat delayed. The number of telephone .calls fronx Australia, either from newspapers there or from Australian correspondents { of other news agencies further overj seas is an indication of the interest that is being taken in the defeat of the Labour Government in New Zealand after 14 years of office.