RAILWAY BOARD REPORT
CONTENTIOUS DEBATE EXPECTED.
A DIFFICULT QUESTION OF
PROMISES
(Press Correspondent)
WELLINGTON, September 29
The attention of members of Parlia merit is now focused upon the report of the Railway Board, re corn mend in the stoppage of six of the seven lim: now under construction. The report promises to provide one of the most contentious debates of this session.
Members are puzdled as to the attitude of the Government. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, stated some time ago that the question would be discussed in the’ House of Representatives upon a strictly nonParty basis, allowing members freedom of discussion, and to exercise the privilege of voting as they wished upon divisions. There is understood to be a strong feeling in the Cabinet that the adoption of the Board’s report shall be treated strictly as a policy question, involving the confidence of members in the House, and that opposition expressed in the division lobbies will be regarded as defections from the Ooali/tion. This question Willi have to be decided by Cabinet, as it is certain that resolutions will bo presented at a very early stage, recommending complete adoption of the Board’s report. Some members feel strongly upon the contemplated stoppage- of these lines, ard if they are bound to a Party vote
trouble is easily discernible upon the political horizon. It is possible that ir. order to placate these members, an endeavour will be made by caretul Party organisation to ensure that a majority vote will be recorded in the House for the adoption of the report, leaving the remaining members oi the Government Parties to vote according to their consciences.
This debate will provide the first real test of Party loyalty under the Coalition. The majority of the Reform Party will almost assuredly vote for the report. Labour will vote against it, and the interesting point now is as to how Mr Forbes will marshal his forces, particularly as he will be torn between his rank-and-file members, to whom he made his implied promise, and the of the Cabinet, \\;ho will he pressing for complete stoppage ol the six lines recommended for stoppage. II Mr Forbes falls in with the Cabinet, and makes the discussion a policy question, certain members then will be laced with the unpleasant alternative of breaking their pledge to the Coalition or 'betraying solemn undertakings to their constituents.
Members who *«um the position up in the lobbies will not believe that the Government will .treat the railways report as a hard-and-fast policy question.
“The Prime Minister practically gave us his promise some time ago that he would not force a' Party division in this debate,” one . southern member said this evening. “The law says that the Board’s recommendations shall be approved by both Houses* of Parliament, not as a Government recommendation to be endorsed by Parliament. T think Cabinet will be facing a very difficult situation if it tries to force this debate through, and peg the members down to Party affiliations.”
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Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1931, Page 8
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503RAILWAY BOARD REPORT Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1931, Page 8
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