PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2543, 15 February 1923, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE.

The Address-in-Reply debate was continued in the House on Tuesday ' by-Messrs. Sidey, the Hon. Nosworthy, FoTb.es, Hawken and Holland. —The latter moved' an amendment to Mr Wilford’s amendment as follows ... .. “We would respectfully draw Your Excellency’s attention to some of the reasons why your present advisers have lost the confidence of the majority .of the people of New Zealand: (l).The Government’s financial policy and wage reducing legislation both, with respect to the public service and the workers in .private employment has placed the burden of . taxation upon those citizens least able to bear it; (2) the _• Government has not made proper provision for .housing the people and has made no effective attempt to cope with the problem of unemployment; (3) the Government has made no provision for an increased standard of pensions for aged -widows and orphans, and the industrially incapacitated and no pensions whatever for the blind. We would further draw Your Excellency s attention to the unsatisfactory consti- .. tutional position which has arisen as a result of the undemocratic nature of the first-past-the-post system, which makes it possible for the minority to defeat the will of the rti ) majority, and this House is therefore of the opinion that the present ’ Parliament should enact a bona fide system of proportional representation.” The debate was resumed yesterday by Mr A. Harris (Waitemata) and Messrs .1. O’Brien (Westland) ' an d A. L. Monteith (Wellington E.) who supported Mr Holland’s amendment. Mr F. F. Hockley (Rotorua) declared the Liberals could not carry on and Mr D. Buddo (Kaiapoi) cri- =. tieised the Government from various points, including that of taxation. : Mr D. G. Sullivan declared the Massey Ministry to be the worst

Government in 30 years. V Sir John Luke (Wellington North) i' declared he would resign his seat if i it could be proved he had used any influence in the-direction of securs mg nomination for the Speakership, i Mr S. G. Smith (Taranaki) said he would not vote for Mr Holland’s F amendment, but would vote for Mr

Wilford’s. = Mr W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) declared' it was itime we ; had a new Government and that a majority‘of the House had been returned against the Reformers. ' The ‘Hbuse, resumes to-morrow morning. „. . _ GOVERNMENT MAJORITY ANTIOIPATED. It is an open secret that unless something very unforseen occurs, the Government is assured of a majority in the coming division upon Mr Wilford’s motion that the Goveminent does not possess the confidence of the House. , It s known in the lobbies that the members for Bay of Islands, -Christchurch N. and Ricearton will hot vote against the Government and that they will be found voting with it when the numbers go up, which means that if every member votes there will be at least 41 members ranged on the Government side of the House, so that, with Mr Speaker in the chair,the combined Opposition can only range 38 members against them. Added to that is the fact that there is a very bitter feud between Mr Holland, leader of the Parliamentary Labour'.Party, and the leader of the forbids any hope of a coalition, between the two parties, even if they could possibly turn the scale against the Government. It may be accepted, therefore, that the session will terminate with the Government confirmed in office, although not, as is alleged by certain Oppositionists, by the votes of men pledged to put them out of ‘ office. . Both on the hustings and in their pre-election .addresses, the three Independents, who are expected to vote with the Government expressly stated that they would vote with Mr Massey on a no-con-fidence motion.