The Press Tuesday, November 29, 1927. Parliament and Foreign Policy.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19170, 29 November 1927, Page 8

The Press Tuesday, November 29, 1927. Parliament and Foreign Policy.

Most people will find it hard to understand why Mr Amery's address to the House of Representatives on foreign policy was treated as private and confidential. It is true that Parliament is within its rights in transacting its business in private. Although normally it admits the Press and the public to its sittings, and has made special permanent provision for their accommodation, these "strangers" are there on sufferance only. It can at any time close its doors to visitors, but actually it does not think of doing so, and this for the reason that Parliament to-day is the servant of the people, and not, as it was once, the people's master. It is just possible that circumstances may arise that might make a private or secret sitting of the House expedient, and we must suppose that the House agreed that it was expedient that what Mr Amery had to say about foreign policy should be said in confidence to our legislators. It may have been that the Government thought that the absence of the public and its journalistic representatives would make easy what the presence of a gallery might impede, namely, a free and frank speech by' our distinguished visitor and frank and truth-seeking questions by members. And the Government would have been quite right in thinking that. Not, indeed, that it is very likely that the Secretary of State for the Colonies would have much to say to the legislators of a distant Dominion that Sir Austen Chamberlain could not say to the world in the House of Commons. At the same time it must be regretted that the public has not been permitted to share the privilege enjoyed by their representatives. It would be helpful to the public of New Zealand, and to that extent advantageous to the Empire, to have the broad principles of Imperial foreign policy outlined with the clearness one may expect from Mr Amery. Yet it is all to the good that our legislators should be made acquainted with such facts concerning foreign policy as Mr Amery could give them, because our Legislature has for many years been very short of members who either know or care about Imperial and foreign affairs. Many of them, pfobabtyj will fail to secure re-election to Parliament, and Mr Amery's address will have been thrown away so far as those members are cofleerried. Others, however, will remain in Parliament, and one may hope that they will be inspired to take some interest in the lafger issues in Imperial politics. How sorely some awakening of interest is needed can be measured by the fact that in a session lasting five months no time has been spared for any .consideration of the last Im|jeriai Coriierehce. An hour or two may be given to it before the session ends, but that is all.