LABOUR’S PLANS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 246, 31 July 1935, Page 8

LABOUR’S PLANS

TO CO-OPERATE WITH MINISTERS

AVOIDING ROYAL COMMISSIONS

(Per Press Association)

GISBORNE, July 30.

Addressing a fairly* large audience at Gisborne to-night, the leader of the Opposition (Mr M. J. Savage) said if it were given a majority at the next parliament, Labour would introduce new methods by which rank and file members of the Government would be permitted to serve. The intention was to co-opt the services of all members elected under the. banner of Labour, with the object of making the representatives of the people something more than mere voting machines. All Government members would he expected to play a part in the promotion of legislation and the administration of the law, to transforu the Dominion into the comparative paradise that its productive forces justified Every Labour member willing to give a full measure of service would he associated with the Minister in the particular department in which he was best fitted to serve. While Ministerial authority would be maintained to the full, steps would be taken to establish groups of the people’s representatives in Parliament, as against the growing number of Royal Commissions, the members of which acted without the authority of the people Farmer members would be associated with the Minister for Lands and the Minister for Agriculture, miners would be associated with the Minister ' for Mines, and so on, until all the departments were covered.

Mr Savage said that with the assistance of the people, far-reaching changes could and would be made during the life of the first Labour Government.

A vote of thanks to Mr Savage and confidence in the Labour Party was carried.