Mr J. T. Watts Discusses Demands On Politicians

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29250, 7 July 1960, Page 12

Mr J. T. Watts Discusses Demands On Politicians

(New Zealand Press Association)

1 WELLINGTON, July 6. I The vocation ot a politician was a noble one, and New Zealanders were generally weil served by 1 their members ot Parliament, Mr ’ J. T. Watts (Opposition. Fendal- ’ ton) said tn the House of Repre--1 sentatives tonight Mr Watts who ' entered Parliament in 1943. will ■ retire at the end of this session. Members were not as selfish or • as short-sighted generally as the ' people they, represented, Mr 1 Watts saidf “The tendency for a member of 1 Parliament to have to act as a f solicitor, business pdviser, mar- ■ riage guidance counsellor, tele- . phone applicant and house getter. ■ attender at innumerable functions 1 and donor to all worthy causes is

a bad development in our public life,” he said. “There are no monetary rewards for political life, and during the 17 years I’ve been in Parliament 'members have hardly been paid a living wage. And there have been some sad cases of former members in difficult circumstances.” Mr Watts said there had been a lot of criticism of the powers of the Public Service. “But the Public Service generally gets the power given to it by this House, and the controls it exercises are usually the result of pressure from some section of the community for protection.” Mr Watts said that Ministers had too much administrative work and did not have time to consider and develop policy. “In one year as Minister I read, signed, and approved or disapproved more than 12.000 reports, letters, and files, in addition .to my other work,” he said. “That’s too much for one minister.”