PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2226, 12 August 1914, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

PUBLIC REVENUES AN EMERGENCY MEASUR] SIR J. G. WARD AGGRIEVED The House of' Representatives met t 2.30 p.m. Mr. T. M.. WILFORD (Hutt) nske leave to withdraw the petition for reli< presented on behalf of Mrs. Comesk; whose husband lost his life in the Uppi Hutt firo disaster. Tho reason was ths 'the Government had dealt generously wit Mrs. Comesky, and she desired, therefor* to have her petition withdrawn. - PUBLIC REVENUES. OPPOSITION LEADER AGGRIEVED, The' Public Revenues Amendment Ac Tr c.™ nt T Cd, i! :cd b ? Governor's Message. SIR JOSEPH WARD, Leader of th Opposition, expressed his extreme regre that tho Opposition had not been apprise* of the contents of the Bill. The Opposi tion would do all in their power to pas tho Bill, but he declared that tho Gov eminent, in failing to apprise the Oppo sition of business, so important as this .jera following a different course fron that followed by any other Governmen in the British Empire. The Hon. J. ALLEN said he was sorn tho honourable gentleman felt aggrieve! ovra the matter. All he could say wa! that no discourtesy towards him had beei intended by the Government. The Leadei of the Opposition had made a statomeni ihat the Kew' Zealand Government wai rollowing a. different course from thai Jeing followed by other Governments it Jis .-matter. With that statement hi (Mr. Allen) could tot agree, because h( did nc-t know as a fact that it was so, [? the honourable gentleman felt thai ;he House would not have sufficient timt a digest the Bill rt this sitting, he would lavo much pleasure in asking the Prime Minister to postpone the second reading oi it until the s uext day. The main otjec? bi the Bill was to'.provide for the finances of the country binder, the peculiar conditions which existed at present. The Government thought it was their plain duty to bring the Bill down, and it iad nover occurred to him to consult the Leador of tho Opposition. Ho was sorry the leader of the Opposition felt aggrieved. ' Mr. Wilford: It's a courtesy; that's all. Mr. Allen: I can't say that I am ac'oustomed to consider myself guilty of want of courtesy, and'l say now to the House that no discoui-tosy was intended. T. M. WILFORD (Hutt) said the Opposition were anxious to help the Government, and in view of this it might ♦aoilitate business if tho Leader of the imposition were taken into the coufi- , ace of the Government. ~ "Oil on Troubled Waters," Dr. Newman: I think I can pour oil on the troubled waters. I-suggest that ;he Prime Minister and the Minister of l'inance resign their seats and let'the member for Awarua run this country. Sir.Joseph Ward: I want to say that nothing more regrettable could have come from the honourable member who never does anything in the shape of intelligence to help this House. Mr. _:SPEAKER drew Sir Joseph Ward's attention to the fact that he was speaking with the indulgence of the House only, and could not continue a discussion. Sir Joseph Ward: I will have another pportumty. But I want to say that 1 think it is grotesquely impertinent. mV H A G, ?¥■ (Christchurch South) GaiU he thought it was a great pity that the Government did not take the Leader ■•mi ° Opposition into th.eir confiaence.' The, Right-Hon. W. F. MASSEY aswired the Leader of the Opposition again that no discourtesy to him was intended. However, tho Government were not going on with the Bill that day He could, never, think of any occasion on which the Opposition had been taken into the confidence of tho Government concerning a Bill introduced by Governor s Message. After that day he proposed to ask the House to sit only in tho evenings. This woiuld allow She Committees to overtake arrears of wor Members would realise that Ministers were, working now at very high pressure. S e '""'."'tended to see.tho Leader oi tho. Opposition that morning on other busmess-about tho business of the Houßfr-but he (M\. Massey) could nol possibly arrange it. He simply had.no tUe necessary fivo minutes of time i spare, .... No Party Feeling, SIR JOSEPH WARD eaid that he was sorry the Prime Minister was out wC ho raised the Important' question. He was n °t going, to'-connect himself wit any party feeling When a financial mat «r lJke the Bill was introduced by Governor's Message, an.i on the assumption that it was going right through that day (there-was no indication that it was nol), he raised the point that the con-' have been made known to the Opposition. That bad been done m other oountries.\ Mr. Allen: Ido not find it so. Sir Joseph Ward: It is in the cables. Mr. Allen shook his head. Sir Joseph Ward: It is so, and it haa bten_donem England, Australia, nnc Canada. It has been done in New Zev land before. He was talking qnfo impartially. It was nothing new for an emergency to have arisen in this country, ami m the past the Leader of Ihe Opposition had been consulted bv the Government; and .they got legislation through, each having confidence in one another. Even if thv Bih wero postponed fall the following night, he did not intend to oppose it. He was not raising the question as opposition to the Bill j he reoognised that Ministers had a. good deal of responsibility on their shoulders. Mr. P. C. WEBB (Grey): I express re?£n- at , healin ff the hou. raembor for Wellington East so loso control of himM « to-day as to introduce party eln. ment. Members on his sido of the House recognised that it was no time for party rancour He thought the Prime Minister would be doing a wise thing if he adopted some method, as was done in Australia, of inviting, the Leader of tho Opposition to take part in many of the Government's. deliberations. Mr, H. Atinoro thought that it would be a good thing if the course adopted m other countries was followed here. Mr, Massey in Reply, The Right Hon. W. 1\ MASSEY (Prime Minister): Really, I do not know what members on the other side want. I have tried to meet them in every possible W, ,F e ! lftTo callcil in "ie Leader M.the Opposition 6n quite a number qf jccasions. I do not know how many. Wo :lo not go about tho country telling what ;ve .are going to do; On several oecanons the Leader of tho OpposiKon hni jeen called to my room to confer with Bis Excellencr nnd myself. No longer igD thnn yesteiaay he was called to my ■oora and tol<l everything that had hapjeiietl. I do not know where' tho trouble ias occurred. We have endeavoured to In the right thing. So far as Australia s concerned, there is no parallel beween what has been going on there i\nd lero, beoauso Parliament has dissolved hero. A member! It is sitting in New South Vnies. Mr. Massey: Except the Parliament of \qw South Wales, which has very Httlo o do' with tho defence of tho Common-,-oalth. There is no parallel between Jew gouth AVales and New Zealand. I t*l certain that Parlianiont in Canada is ot sitting. Personally' I think the right on. Leader of the Opposition will adiit thnt,. as far ns we are concerned, he as nothing to complain of in the way f discourtesy—l think the right hori. cntleninn hn.= a'imitted so. Sir Joseph Ward: I admitted so. Tho hole point is that I do not know what io Bill contains. , Mr. Massey: As a matter of fact I link this trouble is getting on our erves. Although I did not think so b"ire, I think now that it might bo necesiry to adjourn to allow us to settlo awn. I want to soy we have taken— id intend to take—the Leader of tho ppoaition into our confidence in every issiblo way. Ha<l it not been for the [treme pressure of business. this morn-

ing, I intended to send for tho Leade: of the Opposition, and consult him witl regard to other matters not mentione< thi3 afternoon. (Hear, hear.) The Bill was read a first time. LOCAL ELECTIONS BILL. The Local Elections (Proportional Ee presentation) Bill was committed, an< was reported without amendments, reac a third Mine and passed. CIVIL SERVICE GUARANTEE, The Civil Servico Officers' Guarantee Bill was committed, reported without amendments, and was read a third tin« and passed. . ■', ,/ IMMIGRATION RESTRICTION. The Immigration Restriction Amendment Bill was committed, and reported without amendment. The Bill wns read a third time and passed. The House rose at 4.10 p.m. till 7.3 C p.m. today.