“SHARP TACTICS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 166, 4 October 1927, Page 16

“SHARP TACTICS”

LABOUR RESENTS MOVE BY MR. COATES MONDAY-SITTING SURPRISE (THE! SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Monday. “HpACTICAL sharp practice” is the phrase with which Mr. H. li. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, associated the Prime Minister in connection with a nasty incident which happened just before the House rose early on Saturday morning, when Mr. Coates, without warning, either to the opposition or his own party, moved to have the House reassembled to-night. VVfHETHER Mr. Coates had acted in tique because of the frustration of his desire to have the estimates passer, or whether—as alleged by one member —he viewed fellow-members in the light of children, was left for -the Prime Minister himself to explain subsequently. Certain it is that a seriou 3 misunderstanding occurred upon which the Leader of the Opposition based a serious charge of deliberate breach of faith with the Opposition side of the House.

“I offer the strongest opposition possible to the motion, which is the outcome of the Government’s breach of faith on Friday evening,” Mr. Holland said. “The Government had entered into an agreement with the Opposition through the Opposition Whip, and no sooner had this been done than the Prime Minister submitted a motion which could have been designed only to break faith with the Opposition. The arrangement had been that only the railway estimates should be taken after the discussion on the railway statement, which had been debated since early afternoon, was finished. The Opposition had been quite prepared to allow the railway statement to go through, but discussion had been commenced by a Government member, and thenceforward Government members had discussed it freely, frequently and in succession, so the Opposition could not be charged with responsibility for the delay. Mr. G. W. Forbes, Leader of the National Party, claimed that no member of the House had discussed the Railway Statement at undue length. He felt that a great deal more business could be put through if it were arranged to suit the convenience of members, but very little would be accomplished by bullying methods. The Prime Minister had treated members, not £.s members, but as children. An attempt had never previously been made to spring a surprise motion upon the House in this fashion. HOLD UP BEGINS

After the initial outburst against the Government, Opposition members appeared to be perfectly content to go on debating other questions witli the object of holding up business till the Government considered it too late to introduce the estimates. Mr. P. Fraser, Wellington Central, and Kir. R. McKeen, Wellington South, revived the old controversy of the Wellington Education Board’s finance and the misapplication of £IO,OOO, which the department admitted had been bungled. Mr. E. J. Howard moved an amendment to Mr. Coates's motion to go

into committee, seeking to have the Wellington Education Board’s affairs investigated. This was defeated by 36 votes to 15.

Then Mr. H. G. R. Mason, Eden, switched the House to the other end of the Island and recalled the inquiry into the affairs at the Seddon Memorial Technical College. He declared that Auckland was permitted to staff its technical college in a manner which would not he tolerated by any other technical college in the Dominion.

It was just on midnight when the Prime Minister rose to reply to Mr. Holland's charges of breach of faith. He claimed that the sole reason for his moving to assemble the House tonight was so that the Government could get on with the business.

Mr. Coates averred that the last arrangement. made between the parties on Friday evening was that three classes, Lands, Valuation and the Industries and Commerce Estimates should be taken. Later on the Government Whip informed him that there were difficulties, to which he replied that there had been difficulties all through. Mr. Coates made no specific charge against any member, but charged the Labour Party generally. The Opposition had held up the business of the country on every possible occasion. Government Members: Hear! Hear! Mr. Holland: Name specific items. Mr. Coates: There was the Shops and Offices Bill. Bill after Bill has been held up. Mr. Holland: Summer Time. Mr. Coates: I am not counting that. We have tried our best to work with the Opposition, but the day of reckoning has come, and it means that the Government is going to put its legislation through irrespective of hours. Mr. H. Atmore: We were wondering whether you were going to do any.

NOT GOING TO BE SIDE-TRACKED Mr. Coates: The Government is going to consider Government business, and if the Opposition members like to arrange things with us they can do so, but we are not going to be quietly side-tracked. He did not blame the Nationals and declared that he wanted to put through to-night only those estimates which were agreed upon on Friday evening. It was not pique. Mr. Howard: Merely irritation.

Mr. Coates: No, not irritation. I want to get on with the business, and my motion was for this, and this alone. If the Opposition wants to hold up the business the responsibility is theirs.

Mr. Holland: On good legislation you will be backed up. Mr. Holland claimed misrepresentation, and said that no agreement beyond that the Railways Estimates should go through had been made. The House then went into Committee of Supply to consider the Estimates.