TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE TALK?

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 364, 27 October 1932, Page 5

TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE TALK?

("Post" Special Commissioner).

DRAGGING SESSION MEMBER CONSIDERS CENSURE OF PARLIAMENT JUSTIFIED PRIVILEGES QF SPEECH

Wellington, Wednesday. Unlike some other members'of the House of Representatives, Mr. c. A. Wilkinson (Independent, Egmont), holds that much of the criticism of which Parliament has been the suhject, is more than justified and in the course of the firiaiicial debate to-day, he accompanied an expression of this view with a complaint concerning the slow progress made with "business this session. An earlier speaker, Mr. J. Harg-est (Government, Invercargill) who also touched on the subject, said that althoxxgh he did not know whether the press was carrying out a campaign against the procedure of the House, he was perturbed as a new member hy the fact that the Wellington "Dominion" had ui'ged members to be silent. "I came here," said Mr. Hargest, "to take part in the councils of the coxxntry and to represent my eonstituents. I have np way of doing that except by my speech and my vote. As long as I remain here, I intend to avail myself of those privileges." Talked Too Lifctle Mr. Hargest said that a study of the records of past debates showed that instead of talking too much, members had talked too little. At the same time, he was struck hy the Iack of responsibility on the part of some members. For instance the House had been asked to vote supply and members had spent the whole day tediously repeating arguments about the evils of unemployment and when the real work of the d'ay arrived, they granted supply at the rate of millions a minute and no one made any comment. He was of the opinion that if members said w'hat they thought when bills were brought down, some of the bills they were now condemning might never have been placed on the Statute Book. Slow Progress Pointed reference to the slow progress of the session was made by Mr. Wilkinson, who noted that although the Hoxxse had been assembled for over a month no legislation had been passed. "A great deal of the criticism lev-, elled at the House is quite justifiable — is more- than justified — in my opinion," he added. "I think if 'time we arrived at a more businesslike method in the condxxct of puhlic business. "If we go on at this pace, we will not complete the business before Christmas," he said. After referring to the report pxxblished three wqeks before Parliament met that the Government had not completed any legislative measures, hut had heen perusing the National Expenditure Commission's report, Mr. Wilkinson said : "I wonder why Parliament was called together. It is oiily right that when the House assembled, members should have the business of the country placed' before them without delay. We have had far too much delay this year, hut of coxirse, that is quite a common thing."