PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 262, 3 October 1940, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

FINANCE FOR TROOPS. BETTER PROVISION URGED. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Oct. 2. When the House of Representatives met at 2.30 this afternoon Mr Si G. Holland' gave notice to ask the Minister of Finance whether he would make provision to enable relatives and friends of New Zealand soldiers nerving overseas to send to the soldiers larger remittances from New Zealand than were at present allowed, thus placing New Zealanders on a more comparative basis with Australian soldiers. He pointed out that the remittances to New Zealand soldiers overseas were at present limited to an aggregate of L-o New Zealand currency per annum, whereas Australian soldiers might receive up to £IOO overy three months, and more if necessary. SOLDIERS’ ELECTORAL EIGHTS. The electoral rights of members of the Armed Forces serving overseas and of other persons associated with the Forces are safeguarded by the Electoral Amendment Bill, which was introduced and read the lirst time. The Prime Minister (Rt. Hon PFraser) said the Government had intended all along to bring in such a Bill, but the possibility of a by-election having to be held in the Waipawa electorate had expedited its mtroducAny person serving with the Forces outside New Zealand, except one receiving an annual or permanent salary as a member of the Forces, will be eligible to become a candidate -for Parliament whether or not he is registered as an elector of any electoral district. The consent to nomination of any such person may be signified to the returning officer in any manner approved by the Chief Electoral Officer. Members of the Forces are to be qualified to vote on the licensing issue as well as on the election of members of Parliament. Where their names are on the roll of any particular district they will be able to vote as electors of that district, but even if their names are not on the roll they will be qualified to vote as electors of the district in which they usually lived ately before leaving New Zealand. Hie safeguard also applies to persons yho 'have returned to New Zealaid after serving overseas. The validity of elections or polls cannot be questioned because of any illegality arising out of the Bill or the regulations made under tt. No regulations are to be deemed invalid on the grounds that they delegate to or confer on the Governor-General or anv other nerson any discretionary authoritv. No member of the Legislative Council or of the House of Representatives is to lose his seat through joining the F.orees or receiving militarv pav, and. similarly, members! of the Forces are not to be prejudiced from becoming members of the Legis-

lature. CONTROL OF ORCHARD DISEASES Moving the second reading of t'he Orchard and Garden Diseases Amendment Bill, which was introduced on the previous day. the Minister of Agriculture, after outlining the provisions of the measure, said it had been shown that the present system of importation of plants and plant products did not give sufficient safeguards against the introduction of new diseases and the Bill was designed to remedy this deleft. . ~ The second part of the Bill, said Mr Lee Martin, gave power to deal with diseases already in t'he Dominion with special reference to citrus canker, which was causing great damage in the Kerikeri and Tauranga districts. It was also provided that compensation might he mrde by the Government to the grower* concerned, and it also laid a basis for the appointment of advisory committees, which, besides acting in an advisory capacity, might also be called upon to settle-any disputes which ' might arise. Every endeavour had l>een made, he said, to, meet the wishes of growers in connection with the, Bill. Mr F. W. Doidge contended that, the Bill gave the Minister drastic powers wherounder a departmental inspector would be able to enter an orchard, and if he found one spot of citrus canker on a. tree would be abwv to order the whole orchard to- be des-. troyed. |

REGULATIONS CRITICISED. Mr W A. Bodkin suggested that the Minister'should have written into the legislation some of the regulations he intended to bring down. Legislation enacted by Order-in-Council, he said, far exceeded legislation enacted by the House. T i The Minister of Scientific and Industrial Research (Dr. D. G. McMillan) said that a large number of regulations had been brought in because or the war and the need arising from the war of prompt action being taken. Mr YV J Broadfoot also stressed the large number of regulations which had been issued by the .Government and said many of them did not deal with the war or the results of the war It was time the House was given back its rights, and much of the matter being handled by regulation should be handled by statute. The Leader of the Opposition (Hon. A Hamilton) also joined in the criticism and said it was. the. regulations that the Bill empowered the Minister to bring down, and not the Bill itself that was of interest to the House. All’they wero doing was shedding their own powers into the hands of the Minister to bring down regulations. The Bill was put through all stages and passed. VOCATIONS FOR CRIPPLES.

Ministerial replies to questions asked earlier in the session were circulated during the afternoon. Replying to a question by Mr J. A. Leo. who asked whether the Prime Minister would set up in conjunction with the Commissioner and the Social Security Department an office to find work for young people who lost limbs in industry as a preliminary to finding work for nil who returned disabled from the war, Mr Fraser said it was the special function of the State Placement Service to place in suitable employment those who suffered from visible or other disabilities. The question of extending these functions to meet special war circumstances was under consideration.

Another question by Mr Lee, this time addressed to the Minister of Finance, raised the question as to whether the. Government would introduce legislation to raise the family allowance wage qualification by 5 per cent, in view of the recent increase in wages awarded by the Arbitration Court. Hon. W. Nash, in reply, outlined the increases which had taken place in the allowances since 1939, and said that recently to offset any hardship that might. arise from the imposition of the national securitv tax the allowance -was made payable in respect of children after the first, and the income limit had been amended accordingly. MEDICAL TRAINING. The question of establishing another medical school in Auckland in view of the fact that the Otago University Council had decided to restrict severely the number of medical students at the Otago University was raised by Mr A. G. Osborne in a question to the

Minister of Health. Hon. H. T. Armstrong, the Minister, replying, said the Department was of opinion at present that the Medical School in Dunedin was training sufficient graduates .to meet- the immediate medical requirements and as the necessity arose the establishment of a second school would be fully considered.

An assurance that, although conditions differed in the two services, every endeavour had been made to secure equality of payment was given by the Minister of Defence (Hon. F. Jones) in reply to a question by Mr Lee as.to whether he would take steps to see that wherever the pay and allowances of naval ratings was below that of men enlisted for the Expeditionary Force the Expeditionary Force rate should apply.

Questions relating to increased alpetrol were asked by Mr D. C. Ividd. One concerning extra allowances to shearers to enable them to travel to their work was answered by the Minister of Supply (Hon. /D. G. Sullivan) to the effect that where suitable public transport was not available workmen were to be supplied with sufficient petrol to enable them to carry out their work;

Mr Sullivan also intimated that instructions had been issued to‘all postmasters that in eases requiring urgent medical attention sufficient supplies of petrol are to be made available.