BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.
ANTIQUATED PARLIAMENT ARY USAGE. MATTER DISCUSSED IN THE HOUSE. (Per Press Association. Wellington, September 26. In the House this afternoon, the Premier moved, in accordance with his promise of the previous day, that (1) a breach of privilege has been committed by the New Zealand Times and other journals in divulging the proceedings of the Land Committee, and that no further action be taken; (2) that the whole question of reporting the proceedings of committer or otherwise be referred to the Standing Orders Committee for report. He pointed out that on former occasions a'l attempts to follow up the breaches of the Standing Orders had ended in farce and failure. The Committee named would place the matter on a definite footing of satisfaction to the House and the public. Mr Masse/ thought the first part of the motion ought to be struck out, as the breach of the Standing Orders ought to be punished as it has been before.
Tne Premier agreed to drop that part of his motion.
Mr Fisher pointed out that the pasting of the resolution meant full permission to the Press to report proceedings of the Committees of the House.
Mr J. AUen said that as (he first part of the resolution had been struck out, the Press could be prosecuted for breaches of the Standing Orders.
Mr Lewis said that since the Press departed from the old rule of Honour, those playing the game have been the losers. He thought an inscription on the door of the Press gallery, "For gentlemen only," would meet the case by excluding the objectionaTrfe men* Failing that, he would fall back on the Standing Orders.
Mr Tanner deplored the fact that the House had not the courage to make up its mind one way or the other, and admitted tuat he did not care to make any suggestions himself, except (bat the House should make up its mind. Mr T. McKenzie was in favour of admitting the Press to most of the Committees.
Mr Hogg regarded the Standing Orders, which preclude the Press from getting the necessary information, were antiquated and required amending carefully. The Committees, on the one hand, ought not to be "Star Chamber," and on the other, the Press getting the informa
lion were bound to make use of it. The present system strained at gnats and swallowed camels. It made mountains out of mole hills, but the plain fact was that the more light was thrown on the business of Parliament and its Committes, the better.
The Hon. Mr Hall-Jones thought' the whole matter had arisen .through I member! themselve«, for the information had been given by members of the House. The Press were looking for news, and were right to take whatever was offered to them. If the culprits could be discovered who had given the information, he would be for tre»t»« them in a way that would prevent a recurrence of such betrayals for many yean. Mr Laurenson and Mr Baume favoured publication. Mr Wilford suggested that in the case pf policy measures, the proceedings of tij« gommittees ought to be [open to the Press, but (hat in the jiother, cpses, which chießy conq'erned personal matters, they should not. He hoped the House would settle the question on those Jipes. Mr Hanan would like to see ihe empty formalities of the Standing Orders set aside in favour of business line*. Publicity ought to be granted to these Committees, and in that case a very salutary prominence would be given to Committee work. Mr K. MacKenzie thought it would be premature tf) let the Press into the Committees. Is thp Committees the shape of measures was changing n the later stages. The Press was present and eouid get every information. He appealed to the House if experience did not prove that publicity led to much waste of time, vide Harvard, and the results of full galleries." Hp would ask if anyone had ever suggested thgt reporters should be present at Cabinet meetings.
I T' e Hon. T. Y. Duncan agreed with fhe la*t speaker. For example, the Government wanted to get the Land Bill through this session, but if the Press were admitted they could not have a hope. The Press, moreover, would colour the reports of these Committees as they usually did all the reports of the proceedings of the House. Mr FJatman agreed with theße views entirely. Furthermore, he pointed out that if the Press w'ere admitted to these Committees, others wou'd come, too, and all concerned would be half suffocated in the small Committee rooms, He would am,, for one, submit to such deprivation uf! his comfort. He suggested giving 1 the Press a precis of proceedings. The Hon. the Premier mentioned
several previous cases in which nothing but farce bad resulted from attempts to follow matters up by punching the Press. For that reason, he had proposed to declare that no action be taken.' Ha contended that the best course wduldJbe to leave the matter to the Standing Orders Committee, to distinguish between the things it was desirable to publish and th« fhtpgs it was desirable to keep secret, and {o provide a specific penalty for breaches of the consequent rule. That would be a better methodjhan the ancient practice which resuited in farcical failure.
The resolution (second part of the original) was agreed to on the voices.
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81853, 28 September 1906, Page 4
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901BREACH OF PRIVILEGE. Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81853, 28 September 1906, Page 4
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