PARLIAMENT'S DELAYS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 50, 21 October 1931, Page 3

PARLIAMENT'S DELAYS

LITTLE WORK DONE much contentious business still to be dealt with PROTRACTED SESSION CERTAIN ("Post" Special Commissioner) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. A feeling of restlessness at the slow . progress being made in the work of the Parliamentary session is becoming apparent amongst members of the Legislature and with -the approach of summer thoughts are_turning to homej . % and the crops whi*£^oon will be ready' " for harvesting. ' . This week Parliament will complete the seventeenth week of the session, the span of the session of last year, but the work achieved in the past four months bears no comparison. In point of number of Acts passed, with that of 1930, the record for the current session to date shows that 17 Government Bills, 11 local Bills and private members Bills, and one private measure have been passed, whereas the 1930 statute hook contains as the product of a similar period 45 Government and private members Acts, 18 local body Acts and six private Acts.

Much To Be Done The present session has been interrupted by an adjournment for ten days after the formation of the Coalition Government and a five-day break and shortened sittings consequent "on the meetings' of the inter-party economic committee, so that the actual working time has been something more than 15 days less than in the 1930 session. A good deal of important legislation awaits passage before the( present session closes and experieneed members are doubtful whether it can be finished in less than six weeks. Some of the most prominent Government measures of the session are still upon the order paper, while other policy measures to give effect to the programme of the new Government are yet to be introduced.

The Trading Coupons Bill, the Broadcasting Bill and the Transport Licensing Bill are the most contentious measures now before the House and probably will take some little time to clear off the order paper, but still more contentious matters are in prospect which may not be passed without "stonewall" delay. Contention's Measures The Industrial Conciliation and. Arbitration Court Amendment Bill giving effect to the Government's intention to vary the conditions and restrictions of awards is expected to be resisted very strongly by the official Opposition and if a Bill is introduced to postpone the general election further obstruetive tactics may be resorted to. Other Bills of a.less debatable character, but of almost equal policy importance, are also to make their apearance. In addition, the House must approve of the estimates for the current year and this work, which ordinarily occupies more than a week of sitting days, has not yet been commenced. The Public Works estimates are a further, though a lesser, obstacle. i As soon as the Labour no confidenee | motion now before the House has i been disposed of, the Government i will probably make good speed with ' the remaining work, but there will be | some bitter debating and long sittings. j After next week Mondays will pro- ! bably be adde'd to the working sch- ! edule and frequent suspensions of the ; Standing Orders relating to sitting hours and the occasional use of the j elosure motion will probably be neci essary to avoid undue prolongation ' of the session, which has already i reached the average length.