MARKING TIME

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20049, 22 September 1939, Page 4

MARKING TIME

TACTICS IN HOUSE WAIT FOB. LEGISLATION oi’posrnon suggestion STONEWALL DENIEu (Parliamentary Reportin'.) WELLINGTON, this day. An unusual suggestion was made in the House of Representatives last night during the committee stages of the Small Farms Amendment Bill when, the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, appeared to chide the Government, for not applying the closure to bring the debate to an er.d. Mr. Hamilton's comments were prompted by suggestions from the other side of the House that the Opposition was stonewalling the measure and it appeared to have the desired effect,, for the bill was passed shortly afterwards.

“The country is at war,” said Mr. Hamilton, "and I do not know what the listeners-in will think when they hear us discussing cricken feed like this.”

Government members: It is the Opnosit ion's fault. You are stonewalling the bill.

Such a suggestion was nonsense, Mr. Hamilton retorted. The Government did not have its measures ready and was glad to fill in time. If the war legislation had been ready the closure would have been applied, so that the House could get on with its work.

Mr. Fraser Surprised

The acting Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser, said he was surprised to hear such a suggestion from the Leader of the Opposition, but he had been looking for guidance and had got it. Mr. Hamilton had said that the Government was not ready with its legislation. It was true that the legislation would not be ready before Tuesday, but he was anxious to clear up the order paper before then. He did not want to deny Ihe Opposition the right to protest against legislation they thought was not suitable to their supporters, but the Leader of the Opposition had suggested a way of getting on with the work.

Mr. W.J. Poison (Nat., Stratford): You do not need to apply the closure. We will get through.

Mr. Hamilton: 1 said that because of interjections from the Government benches. Mr. Fraser said he did not wish to apply the closure, but he wanted the bill disposed of during the sitting. If it were not passed within a reasonable time he would lake the hint of the Leader of the Opposition.

When clause 5 of the bill was reached, Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Nat., Waitomo) moved that sub-clause 4 should be deleted. This sub-clause stated that a lease should not confer on the lessee any right to acquire the fee-simple of any land comprised therein.

Mr. Broadfoot’s motion was rejected by 36 votes to 22. Mr. Hamilton then moved a further amendment to sub-clause 10 of the same clause, which provides for a number of repeals to the principal Act. This was rejected by 37 votes to 22 and the bill was passed.