Immediately before questions, I was pointing out some of the fallacies of the argument of Deputy Dillon and his supporters in the Opposition Benches, and I was particularly nailing the hypocrisy of the Deputy in condemning this Bill because it proposed to give control by regulation and at the discretion of the Minister in matters pertaining to livestock marts. I quoted the section of the Act which he, as Minister for Agriculture in 1965, put through the House and in which he not only dealt with the matter of the manufacture of fertilisers, feeding stuffs and mineral mixtures but also took control by regulation to prohibit the sale or manufacture by anybody or any persons participating in the manufacture or sale unless he saw fit.
In the 1955 Act the Minister's discretion in regard to the control by him is contained in section 5 and again, just as in section 4 to which I referred earlier, there is provision for regulations by the Minister at his discretion. Section 5 (1) states:
The Minister may by regulations restrict the manufacture for sale of any fertiliser, feeding stuff, compound feeding stuff or mineral mixture to persons holding licences issued by him under the regulations.
In that case we had regulations under which the actual licences were being issued. In the present Bill, licences are being issued and matters pertaining to the carrying on of the business so licensed will be done by regulation, but under the 1955 Act we had licences being issued at the sole discretion of the Minister for Agriculture. Subsection (2) of section 5 of the 1955 Act states:
The Minister shall, before making regulations under this section in relation to a fertiliser, consult with the Minister for Industry and Commerce.
That, from the Opposition's point of view, was a big concession, considering how they are whinging about the Bill now before the House. There was no arrangement for consulting anybody other than the Minister for Agriculture.
Section 5 (3) says:
Where regulations are made under this section—
(a) the Minister may, at his discretion, grant or refuse to grant a licence under the regulations,
(b) a licence may be granted under the regulations either without conditions or with such conditions attached as the Minister considers proper,
(c) the Minister may, at his discretion, by notice sent by post to the holder of a licence under the regulations—
(i) attach any condition to the licence, or
(ii) revoke or vary any condition which is attached to the licence, or
(iii) revoke the licence.
Section 6 (1) of that Act states:
The Minister may by regulations—
(a) prohibit, limit or regulate the use of any specified article in the manufacture for sale of a fertiliser, feeding stuff, compound feeding stuff or mineral mixture,