PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 23697, 3 October 1940, Page 13

PARLIAMENT

ELECTORAL RIGHTS OF SOLDIERS OVERSEAS ORCHARD DISEASES BILL PASSED [From Ocr Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, October 2. When the House of iteprcooutativcs met at 2.30 p.m. the Electoral Amendment Bill was introduced and read a first time. The Prime Minister said the Government had intended all along to bring in such a Bill, but the possibility of a by-election having to be held in Waipawa electorate had expedited its introduction. Any person serving with the forces outside New Zealand, except one; receiving an annual or permanent salary as a member of the forces, will be eligible to become a candidate for Parliament, whether or not he is registered as an elector of any electoral district. Consent to the ■ nomination of any such person may be signified to the returning officer in any manner approved by the chief electoral officer. Members of the forces are to be qualified to vote on the licensing issue as well as on the election of members of Parliament. Where ■ their names are on the roll of any particular district, they will ,be able to vote as electors of that district, but even if their names are not on the roll they will bo qualified to vote as electors of the in which they usually lived immediately before leaving New Zealand. This safeguard also applies to persons who have returned to New Zealand after serving overseas. The validity of elections or polls cannot be questioned because of any legality arising out of the_ Bill or regulations made under it. No regulations are to be deemed to be invalid on the grounds that they delegate to, or confer on, the Governor-General, or any ■other person, any discretionary authority. No member of the Legislative Council or the House of Representatives is to lose his seat through joining tho forces or receiving military pay, and similarly-members of the forces are not to ho prejudiced from becoming members of the legislature. ORCHARD BILL. Moving the second reading of tho Orchard and Garden Diseases Amendment Bill, which was introduced the previous day, the Minister of Agriculture, after outlining the provisions of the measure, said it had been shown that the present system of importation of plants and plant products did not give sufficient safeguards against the introduction of new diseases, and the Bill was designed to remedy this defect. The second part of the Bill gaye power to deal with diseases already in the Dominion, with special reference to citrus canker, which was causing great damage in the Kerikeri and Tauranga districts.. It also provided that compensation might bo made by the Government to the growers concerned, and it also laid the basis for the appointment of advisory committees which, besides acting in an advisory capacity, might also be called upon to settle any disputes which- might arise. Every endeavour had been made tq meet the wishes of growers in connection with the Bill.

~ Mr Dpiclge contended-that the Bill gave the Minister drastic powers whereunder a departmental inspector would be able to enter an orchard and, if he found one spot of citrus canter on a tree, would bo able to order the whole orchard to be destroyed.

Mr Bodkin suggested that the Minister should have written into the legislation some of the regulations he intended to bring down. Legislation enacted by Order in Council far exceeded legislation enacted by the House. ’

Mr Broadfoot also stressed the large number of regulations which had been issued by the Government, and said many of them did not deal with war or the. results of war. It was time the House was given back its rights, and much of the matter being handled by regulation should be handled by statute. Mr Hamilton also joined in the criticism, and said it was the regulations that the Bill empowered the Minister to bring down, and not the Bill itself, that was of interest to the House. All they were doing was shedding their own powers into the hands of the Minister to bring down regulations. The Bill was put through all stages and passed. QUESTIONS. A question by Mr Lee addressed to the Minister of Finance raised the question as to whether the Government would introduce legislation to raise the family allowance wage qualification by o per cent, in view of the recent increase in wages awarded by the Arbitration Court. Mr Nash, in reply, outlined the increases which had taken place in allowances since 1939, and said that recently, to offset any hardship that might arise from the imposition of the national security tax, an allowance- was made payable in respect of children after the first, and the income limit had been amended accordingly. An assurance that, although conditions differed in the two services, every endeavour had been made to secure equality of payment was given by the Minister of Defence in reply to a question by Mr Lee as to, whether he would take steps to see that, wherever pay and allowances of naval ratings w-as below that of men enlisted for the Expeditionary Force, the Expeditionary Force rate should apply. ' The evening sitting was devoted to debate on war expenses, which is reported elsewhere.