“Too Much Detail” For Cabinet Ministers

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30401, 28 March 1964, Page 3

“Too Much Detail” For Cabinet Ministers

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, March 27.

There was an increasing tendency for Cabinet ministers to involve themselves too much in matters of detail and sometimes have too little time to devote themselves to matters of greater importance, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Nordmeyer) said in Dunedin on Thursday.

Mr Nordmeyer said this when laying the blame for the overwork of Cabinet ministers at the feet of a “demanding public.”

“But,” he said, “the Ministers have themselves to blame for making themselves so readily available.”

He felt that the increased work being handled by Parliament was also contributing to the overwork.

“The fact that Parliament is called upon to deal with a wider range of business involves. Cabinet members in more work,” he said. “A good Minister will always know how much he can safely delegate and what matters of principal and political importance he should deal with himself,” said Mr Nordmeyer. “A suggestion has been made that Cabinet Ministers carry an undue burden because of unreasonable demands either by their constituents or by the community generally. “It is true of course that some constituents fail to realise Cabinet Ministers must spend most of their time in Wellington or elsewhere on Government business and that they cannot possibly attend the number of functions in their electorate that may previously have been their custom.

“It is also true that New Zealanders generally seem to expect too much of their Prime Ministers and of other Ministers of the Crown in the matter of public functions.

“While it is good that Ministers should be available to

take their proper place at functions of national importance, it is wholly unreasonable that they should be expected to attend the number of functions that some of them feel it' their duty to take part. “A little more understanding on the part of the public might result in a lessening of the strains on Ministers’ health,” said Mr Nordmeyer.

would solve the problem. There were adequate Ministers to do the job if their time was not “frittered away” on unimportant matters. “I am satisfied also that insufficient use is made of rank-and-file members of Parliament, many of whom are capable of playing a larger part in public affairs and who would welcome the opportunity of undertaking more responsibility,” said Mr Nordmeyer.

He said he did not think more Cabinet Ministers