ORDERS-IN-COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24419, 3 October 1940, Page 13

ORDERS-IN-COUNCIL

THE ISSUE OF REGULATIONS RIGHTS OF PARLIAMENT •jf. - • lan opposition protest % IFbom Our Parliamentary Reporter’ WELLINGTON, Oct. 2. Government by regulation instead flf by statute was strongly criticised by •everal Opposition speakers when the Orchard and Garden Diseases Amendment Bill was being discussed on its second reading in the House of Representatives to-day. ; “ We are destroying the principles of democratic Government completely,” said Mr W. A. Bodkin (Opposition, Central Otago) when describing the powers already taken by the .Minister of Agriculture, Mr Lee Martin, as dictatorial. The serial number, of regulations issued by the Government this year already: exceeded 224 and the Volume was greater than that ol the legislation passed by the House. Regulations were necessary when a Minister had to act quickly, but a great many of the regulations could defin 1 itely have been written into the Statute Book. ' The Minister of Marine, Dr D. G McMillan, replied that Mr Bodkin Knew very well that the regulations were caused mostly by the war and had to be put through in a hurry. Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition. Waitomo)- said that many regulations had been made under the guise of war. It was time that the House was given hack itsjnghts. "Much of the matter should be handled by statute,” he said, “ and we should have a full say and not leave it to Ministers and their staffs to design all sorts of barby legislation for the general public.” . The Lea'deh of the Opposition. Mr A. Hamilton, said there was nothing at all in the Bill. All it did was to empower the Minister, and it was due tp the Minister or the department not operating the principal act. "It is the regulations which are interesting to this House, not the Bill,” said Mr Haroilton*£;‘fAll vife doing is shedding our qwh power.ihto the hands of -the Minister: to-bring down regulations.” The Minister of Supply Mr D G. Sullivan, - commented that when the Opposition was in • power the country had had 13 long years of Government by.;'; .OtSer-in-Cbuncil - which had aroused the opposition of even its own supporters.