PARLIAMENT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 595, 20 August 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

THE BUDGET DEBATE. OPPOSITION CRITICISM. [i;v ■i , r.i.r.i;E.vrii.—L'Ricss association.] Wellington, Tuesday. The Budget debate was resumed by Mr J. C. Thomson, who complaned that the Budget was devoid of any indication of that great era of reform which people had been led to expect. There was an entire absence of constructive policy or legislation heraldin ji" the social betterment or national insurance against sickness or invalidity. He criticised the cryptic references to such proposals as local government reform and Imperial defence. The Minister of Defence had formerly committed himself to an independent navy, hut since his return from the Old Country he had evident. ly changed his views. It was well for him he had done so, because he ventured the prediction thai no pari;. which proposed an independent navy would ever be returned to ihe Treasury benches. He denounced the Upper House reform proposals of the Government as calculated to set up a second chamber which would dominate the Lower House. There was not one word in the Budget about economy. It was well known enormous waste was going on in the Defence Department. There was plenty of borrowing in the Budget of o party which had always denounced borrowing. The increase of the public debt had been repeatedly denounced by that parly but never a wor.l about the assets againstt hat, debt until the treasurer went to England, Then lie used the finance of his opponents to heip raise his own loan. In respect to land policy the Premier dare not now put into effect some of the doctrines hr. had enunciated before the election. such as the sale of national endowments. There was no reference to the reduction of taxation or the cheaper cost of living, therefore the was now endorsing the policy he had condemned'before the election. Mr Witty admitted the country was j prosperous, uul not so because of the j present Government's finance He j compared the chivalrous conduct of Sir j Joseph Ward in England in assisting j the Hon. Jmes Allen, with the tactics of the Government when in opposition villifying the credit of the Dominion. He had been trying to get information regarding (he working <>f \ the Land. Act, but his question had remained unanswered for two months. The native land was not being opened up in spite of the Governments legislation. The Government promised to give the people a square deal and were strong in condemning public appointments as a party reward. Political patronage was as nfe as ever. It was a singular thing the rate of interest rose with 'the advent of the Reform Government, but money would have been cheaper had Sir Joseph Ward remained in power. Where was the assured finance for local bodice-7 Where was cheap money for the workers? Those were the things the Premier declared for before he came into power. Now they were never heard of. Mr Sidey chide;! the Government i supporters for refusing to sneak in j defence of the party's Budget. The j general feeling in connection with the Budget wa3 disappointment at the absence of policy or the intent urns of the Government. When the Go- j vernment came into power the Conpoli- j dated Fund was overflowing and; the j Government was no longer able to talk j of "galloping to a deficit/' where, j as a result of the Liberal finance they | were able to transfer £,750.000 to the i Public Works Fund. The debate on the Budget was con- j tinned in" the House in the evening ! by Messrs Mander. Isitf and Payne, j and the? Houee rose at 11.SO p.m. | !