RADICAL REFORM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 172, 24 July 1933, Page 9

RADICAL REFORM.

N.Z. PARLIAMENT.

THE LEGION'S PROPOSALS.

ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE.

Particulars of the radical changes in the New Zealand Parliament, advocated by the New Zealand Legion, pre given in tlie statement issued by tlie national council in Wellington after its conference. In the House of Representatives, which would have about 05 members, instead of 80, all the forms and expressions associated with the party system would be eliminated. For example, tlie term "Opposition," or "Leader of the Opposition," in the technical sense of these expressions, would be banned, and Cabinet Ministers would sit 011 cither side of the Speaker's chair, and members would be arranged according to their districts, or some other scheme, and not according to group allegiance. Cabinet Ministers would be responsible to the House. Tliey would be available to answer questions, introduce bills, etc., and take part 111 deliberations in both Houses, but would have 110 vote. It is proposed (though this part of the plan is not finalised) that the Executive [ reduced to seven members, should be elected by the method of proportional representation. A secret ballot 011 the proportional system would be taken, each member of the House having one vote together with a certain number of preferences, thus ensuring the representation e,f the~ main political groups of thought in the House. On appointment to the Executive members should vacate their seats, and by-elections be held. The Legion proposes also that a procedure should be adopted by which any measure passed by the House of Representatives should eventually become law in spite of rejection by the Upper House. It urges the Government to make no further nominations to the present Legis-1 lative Council until the elective principle! is put into practice. |

"Immense Difficulties." In a personal statement issued at the close of the confcrenee of the national council of the Xew Zealand Legion, Dr. Campbell Begg said there were immense difficulties to be overcome in the formation of a vehicle of government that would carry out full democratic principles and at the same time be fully efiicient and economical. The council's resolutions (the chief of which were published in the "Star" 011 Saturday) embodied merely main points and must not be taken as lteing more than an [ indication of the work that had been (lone. Practically every change suggested hud been analysed down to its detail in aider to see its disadvantages,. The criticism that would be directed at the proposals bad already been made, and there were many points left over for further consideration, and some problems yet unsolved. A perfect' system of government was probably an impossibility, but the whole plan would be further developed and explained from the platform and by other methods. The various methods by which different countries had attempted to solve the problem made the science of government one of intense interest, and the Legion had sought and would still seek constructive help from those able and willing to give it, both inside and outside the Legion. The question of economics had been given full consideration, especially in relation to the unemployed. The tenptation was great to put out at once any plan which seemed to be effective, but the endeavour of the Legion would always be to test out as far as possible the validity of these before adopting them. It was not concerned with the nature, radical or otherwise, of the measures, but only as to whether they would be effective for their purpose. It might be said that the Legion was now entering into a new phase of intense activity.