PARLIAMENT TO MEET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 February 1943, Page 2

PARLIAMENT TO MEET

SESSION ON WEDNESDAY MAY LAST A MONTH. NO IMPORTANT BILLS EXPECTED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Parliament will meet on Wednesday , for a new session, which will be opened by the Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall. The traditional peacetime procedure and formalities will be observed. Though little official information is yet available as to the full programme of business awaiting the consideration of the House of Representatives, the opinion is general in political circles that this session will extend over three weeks or a month. Before a start is made with the Ad-dress-in-Reply debate tributes will be paid to former legislators who have died since Parliament last met. There are two of these —Mr W. H. P. Barber, who was member for Newtown from 1902 to 1905, and Mr G. A. Marchant, who was member for Taranaki from 1887 to 1890. There is certain to be a secret session to give members an opportunity to hear and discuss the latest developments of a confidential nature in the war situation generally as well as those relating to New Zealand’s own war effort. •■ O'; QUESTION OF ELECTION. , ;/ .U As a general election this year appears to be generally regarded as a possibility, most members are likely to speak in the Address-in-Reply debate. The legislation extending the life of Parliament till one year after the war is subject to annual review, but irrespective of whether this review is to take place at the coming session or not members are almost certain to avail themselves to the full of the wide scope for discussion offered. In these circumstances the debate might quite easily extend over two weeks. It is unlikely to end without some references being made to the recent Christchurch East by-election and the circumstances leading up to the resignation of Mr F. Langstone, M.P. for Waimarino, from the post of New Zealand Minister to Ottawa. This will be the first meeting of Parliament since Mr Langstone’s return to the Dominion from Canada and his subsequent resignation from the Ministry. MARKET GARDENERS. No legislation of any consequence is expected to be introduced, but there will probably be a Bill providing for the registration of commercial market gardeners producing from holdings above a specified acreage. Such a measure has been requested for several years past by the market gardeners themselves. After the finish of this session an adjournment will probably be taken to early in May, when it is expected that the estimates of departmental expenditure for the current financial year and . the Budget will be ready for presentation.