15
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1984
DEBATE SEEN AS VICTORY FOR GOVERNMENT SYSTEM
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ENDORSING THE VIEWS OF HIS UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES, THE HON BILL BROWN SAID, IN THIS CASE, WHATEVER THE OUTCOME OF THIS DEBATE, PERHAPS THE VICTORY GOES TO OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHICH ALLOWS UNOFFICIALS TO OPPOSE BILLS THEY BELIEVE REQUIRE FURTHER CONSIDERATION BY THE ADMINISTRATION.+
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+ABOVE ALL, HOWEVER, BELIEVE THE PUBLIC WILL ENDORSE THE OUTCOME AS A VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE, HE ADDED.
MR BROWN NOTED THAT THE MEASURES PROPOSED IN THE TWO BILLS WERE NOT INTENDED FOR RAISING REVENUE AS THE TAXATION ASPECTS WERE MERELY PART OF THE MEANS TO ACHIEVE TRANSPORT POLICY.
ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS MERELY GAVE IN TO PRESSURE BY ADOPTING THE STAND THEY HAD TAKEN, HE SAID, THIS IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE, FOR WERE IT TO BE TRUE IT COULD HAVE MOST UNFORTUNATE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE CONDUCT OF OUR AFFAIRS.+
HE NOTED THAT THE EVENTS OF LAST WEEK MIGHT WELL BE VIEWED BY SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THE LIGHT OF PHRASES SUCH AS 'CAVING INTO PRESSURE', 'GIVING INTO BLACKMAIL' AND WITH NATURAL CONCERN AS TO THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES.
+ IT WAS UNFORTUNATE, BUT ACCEPT UNAVOIDABLE, THAT THE NEED FOR REVENUE PROTECTION ORDERS NECESSITATED THESE BILLS BEING INTRODUCED WITHOUT WARNING SO THAT THE CONTENTS CAME AS A SURPRISE TO BOTH THE TAXI TRADE AND TO UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, + HE SAID.
MR BROWN THEN QUOTED THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AS SAYING IN HIS SPEECH THAT THIS METHOD OF INTRODUCTION WAS NOT INTENDED TO INDICATE A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
+ IT IS A MATTER FOR REGRET THAT UNOFFICIALS WERE DENIED BY EVENTS THE USUAL PERIOD TO STUDY CAREFULLY THE BILLS BEFORE RESUMING THE IR DEBATE ON THE 25TH OF THIS MONTH.
+HAD THEY BEEN ABLE TO DO SO THE IR RESERVATIONS WOULD DOUBTLESS HAVE LED TO MUCH THE SAME RESULT AS WE ANTICIPATE TODAY WITHOUT THE TRAUMA OF THE DISGRACEFUL SCENES OUR CITIZENS WERE FORCED TO SUFFER LAST WEEK.+
HE POINTED OUT THAT DEVELOPMENTS HAD MADE THE NEED TO STUDY THESE PROPOSALS EXTREMELY URGENT AND THE UNOFFICIALS HAD DONE SO WHILE RECEIVING REPRESENTATIONS FROM THOSE AFFECTED.
+ IF THERE WERE ANY GIVING IN' IT WAS TO THE NEED FOR AN URGENT DECISION RATHER THAN THE CONTENT OF THE DECISION ITSELF AND I BELIEVE WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR ACCEPTING OUR SUGGESTION THAT THIS DEBATE BE ADVANCED TO TODAY,+ HE SAID.
IT WAS,