PREPARATIONS FOR SPECIAL SESSION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 150, 18 February 1932, Page 5

PREPARATIONS FOR SPECIAL SESSION

("Post" Special Commissioner)

opening feb. 23 HOSTILE LABOUR AMENDMENT TO ADDRESS-1N-REPLY EXPECTED ELECTION OF SPEAKER

WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Preparations are now being :ompleted for the session of Parliament to open on February 23. Although -members are summone'd to be in attendance on Tuesday next, the*^ GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe, will not officially open Parliament until Wednesday. On Tuesday the commission of the Legislative Councillors will direct the House of Representatives to appoint its Speaker, and membeys will aiso be sworn in by the Clerk of £he House. It is not anticipated- that any opposition will be offered to the re-elec-tiori to the chair of Sir Charles Statham, who has won the respect and confidence of all sections of the House.

His re-electiori v/ill be moved and seconded hy two members of the Government party, and it is expected that it will be supported by the Labour Party. It will also be necessary for the House to elect its Chairman of ComlYiiffoDc Tfoic! nncii-

Sir. C. statham tion is at present keld by the member for New Plymouth (Mr. S. G. Smith), and he will again receive the Government nomination on Wednesday. ; Speech From Throne. Following the election . of the Speaker the Governor-General will deliver the Speech from the Throne, giving the reasons for the summoning of Parliament. It is not antieipated that the speech will he a lengthy one, as much of the session's work will depend on the nature of the report to be submitted by the Eeonoiuy CommiSsion, by March 1. On Thursday, the House will pay its tribute to legislators who have died since last session, and after a brief adjournment, it will proceed with the Address-in-Reply. The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G, W. Forbes, stated to-day that it had been arranged for the Address-in-Reply debate at the coming* session of Parliament, to be initiated hy the two Government Whips, Mr. A. J. Murdoch (Marsden), who will be the mover, and Mr. J. Bitchener (Waitaki), who will be the seconder. It has been the praetice for some years past to ask newly-elected members to initiate the debate, but on this occasion the course taken hy the National Government in the war years, is being followed. Hostile Amendment It is generally antieipated that the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland) will talce the first' opportunity of securing a party division in the House, and for this reason he will pvobably move a hostile amendment to the Address-in-Reply. The new Minister of Mines and Agriculture, Hon. C. E. Macmillan, arrived in Wellington from Auckland yesterday and took up his quarters in the rooms previously oceupied by his predecessot, Mr. Jones. Mr. Coates stated in Auckland during the week-end, that thei'e would prohably be a reallocation of poi'tfolios later on, but it is not antieipated that there will be any change until after the short session.