PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 23 June 1920, Page 2

PARLIAMENT

JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY THE HOUSE TO MEET. (Our Parliamentary Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, June' 22. The House of Representatives is to meet on Thursday, but the real opening of Parliament ‘ for business will not be until the following day. The' business of the first .day in the House, • will be simply the election of Speaker, and this wjll bo a pure formality as the return of Sir Frederick Lang is assured.

THE SPEECH. On the next day His Excellency the Governor General will read the speech to the assembled members of both Houses. It is customary not to do any business on this day but it may be that some references will be made to members or ex-members of either House who have died since the prorogation of the last House. It happens that this year the death roll is a small one, and it may be that Mr'Massey will refer to them after the House comes back to its own meeting place from the Legislative Council. • IMPREST SUPPLY BILL., As usual, there must he an Imprest Supply Bill before the end of the month and the month ends on . Wednesday next. The House must grant supply liefore the conclusion of the Wednesday sitting. This xnay be an additional reason for submitting resolutions of mourning and condolence on Friday, leaving Tuesday or the Imprest Bill.

address-in-reply. As soon as the Imprest Bill is out of the way. the first business of the session will be the Address-iu-Reply debate and it is expected that this debate, as is common in a new parliament, may he a long one. The mover of the ad-

dress will be Mr F. H. Hockley (Rotorua) and the seconder Mr David Jones (Kaiapoi). i

CONTENTS OF SPEECH. The Governor’s Speech this year ts expected to be a fairly long one, giving some idea of the work ahead of Parliament for the session, so that if members choose to talk they will have material in the Speech to discuss. MISSING NOTABLES. In the new-House there will be many changes in personnel. The most noted absence will be that of Sir Joseph Ward, for there has not been a Parliament for nearly thirty years in which Sir Joseph Ward has not sat as a - front bench member of either the Government or th;e Opposition party. He joined the first Ballance Ministry in. 1891 as Postmaster General and in the next Ministry was the holder of many important portfolios. Another well-known permanent absentee is Mr G. W. Russell, for the past ten years recognised as one of the strongest on the debating strength of the Liberal party. A WEAK OPPOSITION.

When the Honse meets the Opposition will be weak in the front benches Mr T. M. Wilford is at present in Africa and may not be back for some time, Mr A. M. Myers is In England and it is quite possible that he will not be back in New Zealand at aTI for this session of (Parliament. Mr W. D. S. MacDonald the Leader of the Opposition. v : 'l ”nve very light, support in debate and it appears pow that he may have to undertake the most; of the attack himself. He has not been in very good health during the recess but he is now tolerably well, although he still suffers from neuritis. MEMBERS ASSEMBLING. Members are assembling now in Wellington and all of them seem to have nade up their minds to a long and ardunis session promised to them by the Prime Minister. It will not, however,' je such a frenzied session as several if those of the war years have been.