HOUSING PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 7

HOUSING PARLIAMENT.

A HEAVY BILL. A SHORT AND SHARP DISCUSSION OPPOSITION COMPLAINTS.. The sum of .£162,520 has been expended in connection with housing Parliament, and his Excellency tho Governor, since tho old Parliament Buildings were destroyed by fire. A return presented to the House of Representatives yesterday, on the motion of Mr. 11. 11. Campbell (Hanke's Bay), supplies the following particulars i—

Cost of the new Government House, including purchase of ad- ■ . (litioual land, etc ......... 57,814 Amount spent on tlio present l'arlianient House from the tinio it was vacated by liis Excellency (he Governor to the present date, (not including recurring charges relating to maintenance, «to., Of Parliament Buildings) _ 15,991 Cost of (!io temnoraTjt residence fo: , his Excellency the Governor at Palinerslon North, or elsewhere 1,877 Cost of repairing and adding to that portion of the Parliamentary buildiugs not destroyed by fire on the old site 11,983 Amount paid to the contractor for work done on and for cancelling his contract for the. erection of the new wing, Sydney Street ' 8,828 Estimated cost of the present alterations now being made, including new foundations, but not taking into account any estimate of .actual buildings . ~„' C 3,000 Total 162,526 Mr. G: W. Russell (Avon) said that tho return was a most unfair one, and that it was intended to bo used for political purposes against the Ward Government. Tho Government should not have furnished such a return.

The Hon. A. h, Herdman (AttorneyGeneral) said tliat this was the mosb astounding doctrine ever preached by a representative of tho people of tho country. He had never listened to a more extraordinary utterance than that made by tho member for Avon. Hβ had made it appear that a member of the House had been guilty nf temerity and impudence to ask the Government for tho cost of the erection of the new Government House. Was it to ];e assumed that tho member was not entitled to ask tho Government for that, information? And for tho money spent on tho present Parliament Buildings? Could not a member have that information? An lion, member: Not in the old days. Mr. Herdmali said .that if Ui-el'lidn. gentleman wanted more details, the Minister for Public Works would supply them. The real (ruth about the matter was that tho return supplied was unpalatable, in that it revealed a most \\n-. businessliko stale of affairs. This was why tho information was unpalatable to tlie* lion. gentleman, and why he was afraid of it being used for political purposes. The Hon. E. M'Kcnssie (Motueka) said it could not be denied that the return; did not present the position fairly,' and that it gave no information to anyone at all. The Ward Government had nothing , to cover up, for tho details had been before tho House on many occasions. The present Parliament Buildings could notpossibly last much longer, and they were likely to be destroyed by fire at any ti.me; and the Government were taking a great risk in not providing for the housing of Parliament. Hβ proposed to Ask for a, new return, which would slate the position fairly. Ho did not suggest that the Mum hn'd been asked for by the member for Hawke's Bay for political purposes. In any case he did not care, because the return was capable of explanation. The Hon. W. Eraser (Minister for Public Works) denied that ho had nny intention of preparing a return which was unfair. If members wanted more details tliov could have them. ' Mr. Witty: Will they be available this Parliament? . , Mr. I'Yaser said lie could assure the House that the informntion would be supplied if it could possibly be done. Mr. Lee: They can't understand that. Mr. Buiek: They're not used to it. Mr. Fraser said that the truth of tlm matter was that .£102.000 had l>een spent since the fire on buildings, end they had not got a Parliament Building yet.