A CLOSURE THREAT.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1926, Page 1

A CLOSURE THREAT.

MR COATES AND THE LABOUR PAR l V. WELLINGTON, July 29. The all night sitting during the committee stage of the Police Offences Act Amendment Bill was not reported in “ Hansard.” therefore, when that measure came before the House lor third reading to-night. Labour members spent two hours putting on record their objections to the vagrancy clause.

At last the Prime Minister protested against the waste of time and threatened to introduce the closure into the standing orders. He described it as wearying to hear ,so much repetition after six or seven hours had been spent “discussing this wretched amendment.” Cries of protest from the Labour benches. It was a travesty oil business moth ods and a travesty on Parliamentary methods to waste so much time, declared Mr Coates. The Bill was. going to go through whatever happened. 11 this sort of thing went on there would have to lie some, amendment of the standing orders by way of the closure. Mr Atrnore: Another threat.

Mr Holland ‘ (Opposition Leader): !>o you know the record of your party as an Opposition? Mr Coates: Yes, but that makes no difference. I do say it is too bad to take up so much time on the third reading. I ask members to get, on with tlie business.

“ Five, six or seven liprs spenut on this Bill is not reasonable,” retorted Mr Coates. Mr Holland protested that there bad been no waste of. time since Parliament sat. The Prime Minister had no cause for complaint. The one solitary instance of opposition was the prolonged debate on this question. The Opposition had to exercise its powers of criticism. The Premier should remember the record of his own party in Opposition. Mr Coates : Those were the bad- old days. Mr Holland: And the bad old party, too.