STATUTES OVER-RIDDEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 731, 2 August 1929, Page 10

STATUTES OVER-RIDDEN

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT’S POWERS AN AMENDING BILL (THE SUX'S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Seeking to ‘do away with the legislative power that gave departmental heads the power to over-ride the Statutes by regulations, Mr. J. S. Fletcher (Grey Lynn) introduced an Education Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives today. He was strongly supported by Labour and by members of his own party. He said that the purpose of his Bill was to do away with the malting ~of l’egulations that over-rode Parliament. If that state of affairs continued, the power of representative Government ceased. The Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland said that the Bill was the same as one he had introduced last year. He congratulated a member of the United Party for having followed his lead. Mr. T. W. McDonald (Wairarapa) supported the Bill, sai'ing that it sought to do away with some of the tilings which had been strongly criticised by Government candidates during the election campaign. Mr. R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) said that not one member would support the regulation which the Bill sought to abolish, but it had been inserted during the National Government in order to help the Government in the chaotic condition of the Education Act, which was in so hopeless a condition that lawyers differed upon its interpretation. The regulation had never been abused, and the authority of Parliament had never been over-ridden. It was time that the whole Act were overhauled and consolidated, but that would be a huge task, requiring the attention of one man all the time. Although Mr. Wright liad stated the reason of the regulation, said Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central), he had not justified it. As the late Minister of Education, Mr. Wright should have seen to it that the Act was consolidated. There would be no harm in wiping out the obnoxious provision in the Act, whereby regulations could be made. He expressed surprise that a private member was introducing what should be a Government Bill. It pointed to a lack of cohesion and cooperation in the Government. The Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore, said that the question of overhauling and consolidating the Act had not been overlooked. The task was a big one, as the Act was in a hopeless state. The thing would fake time, and could not be done this session. He recognised, however, the urgency of the matter, and it would be attended to as soon as possible. Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) thought that the member for Grey Lynn was bringing down the Bill for advertising and electioneering purposes. The Government and the Ministers should deal with such subjects. o ¥ r ’, G - R - Mason (Auckland Suburbs) urged the Government to hasten the work. He was tired of the ’cry of “put off, put off, put off.” The Bill was read a first time, the second reading being set down for August 21.