COMING EMPIRE CONFERENCES

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25517, 10 June 1948, Page 2

COMING EMPIRE CONFERENCES

N.Z. REPRESENTATION MR HOLLAND’S COMMENT (P.A.) TIMARU, June 9. “Towards the end of this year there would be two important conferences held in London,” said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland), when addressing businessmen in Timaru to-day. The first would be composed of representatives of the Empire Parliaments. New Zealand would be represented by five members of the legislature—two Government, two Opposition—and one from the Legislative Council. The conference would be mainly a social affair with opportunities for exchange of opinion between members, but the representatives would have no authority to speak for, or to commit, their respective countries in any way. The second conference was of great importance, and at present appeared to be on a Prime Minister’s level, said Mr Holland. At that conference, matters of “first-rank importance to the whole Empire’’ would be discussed, and probably far-reaching decisions would be arrived at.

“I have long held the view that whenever the strength of the parliamentary parties is fairly evenly divided, as they are in New Zealand, both sides of Parliament should be represented at these Imperial conferences so as to ensure some measure of unanimity in decisions taken, and continuity of foreign and Empire policy should there be a change of Government.

“My proposal, therefore, is that the two conferences referred to should be amalgamated, and attended by two representatives from each side and one from the Legislative Council, as at present proposed; but with this exception, that the one representative from each side should be qualified to for his party on what might be described as a ministerial level. Those representatives would be qualified to attend conferences conducted on the higher levels delegates are accustomed to at Imperial conferences.”