COMMENT FROM THE CAPITAL PARLIAMENT’S PROBLEMS—ARE MEMBERS OVER EMPLOYED?

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31144, 22 August 1966, Page 12

COMMENT FROM THE CAPITAL PARLIAMENT’S PROBLEMS—ARE MEMBERS OVER EMPLOYED?

(From Our Own Reporter•

WELLINGTON, August 21.—The declaration of the Prime Minister’s intention to attend the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' conference in London next month was inevitable—but it has served to highlight some of the difficulties inherent in our present Parliamentary system. The deputy Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) will not be going to the Kennedy Round discussions in Geneva. Thus he is free to take charge of the running of the House of Representatives in Mr Holyoake’s absence—to New Zealand’s possible cost in on-the-spot representation overseas.

The Government’s “third man," the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan), is now out of hospital and ’is convalescing at his home.

stitution, the Prime Ministei has ultimate responsibility , for all portfolios—and the right to call hack any one oi them at short notice. This right has been fully exercised in the past Sii Sidney Holland and Sit (Walter Nash frequently called for portfolios, held them for 'various times until specific issues were adjusted, and .then passed them back to | their Ministers. In the Holland administration, both the late Sir Clifton Webb and Sir Thomas Macdonald were Ministers of External Affairs. The practice then was to group External Affairs and Island Territories under one Minister—but the Prime Minister was Minister of Maori Affairs. Under The Nash Hat When Sir Walter Nash took office in 1957, he retained Maori Affairs with Sir Eruera Tirikatene as associate, and also acquired External Affairs. It was said in those days that New Zealand’s overseas policy existed almost entirely under Sir Walter Nash’s hat. The practice of the Prime Minister being also Minister of External Affairs has thus continued for nearly nine years. Mr Holyoake has shed Maori Affairs to Mr Hanan, who h. s also acquired the Attorney-Generalship and the Ministry of Justice, plus Island Territories.

I ton), who also visited Japan At that time, Mr Marshall was in Europe, as Minister of Overseas Trade, making an important series of visits to Common Market countries. Mr Hanan was responsible for the running of Parliament. ■ The only discernible weak iness in this arrangement was that there was no reserve available, and very little "room to manoeuvre" if things went wrong. It would have been better, however, if our Minister of External Affairs could have gone to Seoul, heard what the South-east Asian nations had to say there —and then journeyed, as some of their representatives did. to the S.E.A.T.O. Conference. A Bigger House? A long-term alternative to the present system, which does involve Ministers in a tremendous amount of work, would be to enlarge the Cabinet by the appointment of more Ministers. The provision of Parliamentary Under-secretaries, while providing a good training-ground for younger members, is no solution to Cabinet insufficiency.

Though at the time of writing the Prime Minister had not excluded the possibility of having a short Parliamentary recess, the need for this seems to have receded. Both parties are keen to press on and complete the session quickly, in the absence of really contentious legislation. Properly Geared?

The decisions of the last few days have inevitably raised one question: is New Zealand’s unicameral Parliamentary system properly geared to modern requirements? This could be divided into two subsidiary questions: 1. Is a Cabinet of 16 (including the Prime Minister) big enough to handle the 30odd portfolios and other major Government tasks? 2. Is a single House of 80 (or possibly 86 in 1969) big enough to support a larger Cabinet, plus all the committee tasks its members are called uoon to perform? A perfect balance would be achieved if New Zealand were able to send top-level representatives to all overseas conferences, particularly those in the South-east Asian and Pacific areas, during a Parliamentary session without having to contemplate a recess. External Affairs

This would he difficult under the present system. A party may be victorious at the polls with as few as 41 members. The selection of a Speaker, a Chairman of Committees. Cabinet members and whips takes half of these. Select Committees claim the remainder.

It would be logical to make Mr Hanan Minister of External Affairs. If that were done, however, he would have to be relieved of another portfolio—probably Justice. If something is not done to give the Prime Minister and the Minister of External Affairs freedom of independent movement, there will inevitably be a repetition of this year’s troubles in 1967, possibly under more difficult circumstances.

Under these circumstances it might be charged that Parliament is suffering from a condition known to economists as “over-full employment." It is obvious by now that New Zealand will never again see an Upper House of the old pattern: indeed it is doubtfu' whether either of the main parties would be prepared to tolerate the establishment of any sort of superimposed Chamber with revisory powers.

Mr Holyoake is known to be concerned that his duties as Prime Minister and as Minister of External Affairs quite often require him to be in two places at once. He has discussed this with the Cabinet, and has referred to it obliquely in other ways. It is plain that, if the present Government is returned, the rearrangement of portfolios will include the separation of External Affairs from the Prime Minister’s direct control. This would remove the Prime Minister from direct control of any one portfolio, and would allow him t<> concentrate on his main task—that of running the country. It is noted that, under the New Zealand practice which passes for a Con-

The effects tend to be cumulative. Mr Holyoake was unable to go to Lagos, when his direct support might have been appreciated by other Commonwealth Prime Ministers. Earlier this year, Mr Holyoake was able to go to the S.E.A.T.O. Conference and A.N.Z.U.S. meetings—mainly because they were close, in Canberra, and concurrent. He was unable to go, as Minister of External Affairs, to the nine-nation conference held in Seoul on June 14. New Zealand was represented there by the Minister of Customs (Mr N. L. Shel-

The alternative appears to be the strengthening of the present House of Representatives. This could be by 20 members, or as many as 80. depending on the need, and the need will grow as time passes. A Royal Commission with the most searching terms of reference would be needed to bring about any such reform. It is unlikely that a decision could be made and implemented before the early 1970’5. And by that time the New Zealand population will be far past the 3,000,000-mark.