Should M.P.s Sit Longer?

By John Harlow

This year the Opposition wanted the Prime Minister to recall Parliament early so that it could discuss important issues such as the increased sugar prices, the Dominion takeover bids and military aid to South-East Asia.

Some opposition MPs have complained that under the present set-up they may have to wait up to eight months before they get an opportunity to debate important issues in Parliament. The trend over the last decade has been for parliamentary sessions to open about June and end some time between October and December.

Unlike many other countries, the legislative body in Now Zealand sits only once each year. There have been minor exceptions; the sham parliaments which have been opened for about one day whenever a British monarch visited the country and the 10day session that was called by the last Labour Government, shortly after it was elected, to implement its £100 tax rebate. Except in time of national crisis there should be no need for more than one session in a year.

It has been argued that there is no need for Parliament to have longer sessions because odd committees continue to sit throughout the year and this is where Parliament really does its Job.

The traditional role of Parliament, in which debate influences legislation, has diminished in recent decades with the strengthening of two-party government in New Zealand. Now whenever the Government introduces legislation in Parliament one can usually assume that it will be passed into law since the Government commands a majority of votes.

Parliament is really a public opinion-forming body. Since proceedings are broadcast over the national radio network and have an extensive press coverage, MPs tend to use it as a public platform—not so much to influence legislation as to influence voters. They concern themselves more with explaining to the nation the merits and defects of legislation, and with discussing Government action (or inaction)

Much of the real work is done in select committees. These are usually closed to the public and as MPs have no public audience to address they are able to get down to the serious business of scrutinizing legislation.

In most cases political differences are waived, unless the legislation is of a particularly controversial nature. Members are usually less dogmatic and more willing to compromise in order to produce a good piece of legislation. It should be remembered that generally it is only the controversial differences (mainly differences of principle) that are aired at any great length in Parliament. A lot of differences of opinion on legislation are ironed out in committees.

Parliament should not have to sit any longer than it now finds necessary, but its sessions should be spread over a much longer period.

It would be better if sessions began about March and closed about November. This period of approximately eight months could be broken by three recesses, each of about two or three weeks duration. This would bring the session's length closer to five months, the average length of a present session.

If Parliament sat from March to November. MPs would still have a long recess in the summer to deal with important constituency matters—big Jobs that they can't give their full attention to when Parliament is sitting.