TRANSPORT BILL PASSES COMMITTEE STAGES IN HOUSE

Grey River Argus, 17 November 1948, Page 4

TRANSPORT BILL PASSES COMMITTEE STAGES IN HOUSE

P.A. WELLINGTON, Nov. 16. In the House of Representatives to-day, Opposition criticism of the Transport LaAv Amendment Bill, which was in the Committee stages, was aimed mainly at a clause providing for the establishment of a Transport Co-ordination Council composed of sixteen members, a number which was considered too unwieldly. Mr S. W. Smith (Nat., Hobson) moved an amendment which sought to reduce the size of the proposed council to five—a barrister and solicitor, with at least seven years’ Supreme Court experience, to be appointed bv the Minister as chairman —one representative oithe road transport operators, one representative of the New Zealand Shipowners’ Federation, and two representatives of the Government services (air and rail). Mr Smith said the Council of five would be a better balanced judical body than that proposed in the Bill. The other Union and Government head of Department, included in the Bill, could be used to advise the Council in its deliberation. Mr W. A. Sheat (Nat., Patea) supporting the amendment said a Council of sixteen members would require a special train to convey it around the country. The Minister of Transport, the Hon. F. Hackett: “We will have to get the Transport Co-Ordination Council to look into that.” The Leader of the Opposition, Mr S. G. Holland, said the Minister had fallen into the error of trying to please everybody, but So far as the nroposed. Council was concerned, it would please no one. Mr Holland said that a disinterested Council would function better than one composed of interested parties. He said that the National Party, if it was returned to power at the next elections would alter the strength of the Council, if the Minister did not accept the amendment. The present clause in the Bill was a bad one. Mr A. J. Murdoch (Nat., Marsden), said the Member for Hobson had been over-generous in proposing that i’ne Council comprise five members. “In this Portuguese Army, that is provided for in the Bill, even cooks and stewards have a say. .What do they know about the co-ordination of transport in New Zealand?” he asked. The amendment Aven to a division, and was rejected by 34 votes to 33. A “narrow squeak,” observed the Leader of the Opposition, when the result was announced by the Chairman of Committees Mr C. L. Carr. The remaining clauses were agreed to with little further discussion. The remainder of the afternoon was devoted in Committee to the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Amendment Bill.