Mr Kirk moves toward double-tier Cabinet

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33095, 9 December 1972, Page 1

Mr Kirk moves toward double-tier Cabinet

(Neto Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 8. The selection of the new Labour C ahinet might lead to the two-tier Cahinet concept favoured by the Prime Minister ( Mr Kirk ).

Under such a concept, a group of portfolios would be under the control of a senior Minister, with other Ministers administering them under him.

In the Cabinet appointed today, there are some surprise groupings, and a number of portfolios traditionally held by the same Minister have been separated. In some cases, departments will have two ministers responsible for different aspects of their work. Mr Kirk said this afternoon after the swearing in of the new Cabinet that he realised that there was some overlapping in the allocation of portfolios. Rather than ministers working independently, the Government would be a team. “Must come” He said that the arrangement might lead to a two-tier cabinet. Some people were not as keen on the idea as he was himself, but he believed

it must come. Although the division of departments between ministers was unusual, there had been recent precedents. Overseas trade is administered by the Department of Trade and Industries and comes under a separate minister; Mr Walding has overseas trade, and Mr Freer, trade and industries. But until the appointment of Mr Taiboys to both portfolios this year, the two had been separate since 1966. When Mr Marshall became Prime Minister at the beginning of this year, he gave tourism to one Minister and publicity to another —and the new Government has adopted the same course. Perhaps the main alteration is in transport. The National Government concentrated on consolidation. Mr Gordon held the portfolios of transport including civil aviation, the transport aspects of

marine affairs, and railways. Labour has divided these among three ministers. Mr Kirk’s Cabinet has Sir Basil Arthur as the Minister of Transport, with responsibility for the over-all coordination of transport policies, Dr Finlay as Minister of Civil Aviation, and Mr McGuigan as Minister of Railways. For the first time the Ministry of Civil Defence has been separated from the portfolios of local government and internal affairs. And a number of smaller portfolios which have usually been grouped together have been divided among ministers. One of- the unexpected appointments is that of Mr Walding as Minister of Overseas Trade, a post which most observers confidently expected would be given to. Mr Rowling. However, Mr Kirk said that

Mr Walding, who before his entry to Parliament had built up a flourishing export business, would bring valuable expertise to the post. Mr Rowling has been given the finance portfolio, for which there were several likely contenders. Of these, Mr Connelly has received the portfolios of customs, as well as police, and Mr Tizard becomes Minister of Health. Mr Connelly is also the Associate Minister of Finance. Island affairs Among the interesting divisions is the separation of Maori and Island affairs. Mr Rata takes Maori affairs, to be the first Maori to hold the portfolio, although Sir Apirana Ngata was Minister of Native Affairs. Island affairs has been given to Mr Amos, probably because of his connection with the community of Pacific Islanders in his own electorate. An interesting appointment is that of Mr Douglas as Minister in Charge of the Government Life Insurance Office. Mr Douglas last year introduced a private member’s bill for a national superannuation scheme, and the appointment clearly indicates Labour’s intention to proceed with the proposal. First priorities Mr Kirk said the abolition of the Remuneration Authority, the establishment df rent appeal boards, and the discussion of the position of New Zealand troops in Vietnam were his first priorities for discussion by the Cabinet on Monday. Time Would also be spent in assessing policy priorities for the next three years. The Prime Minister gave a hint that there might be a statement on a Christmas bonus for pensioners, but he asked reporters not to write a story which would "raise their hopes or dash them,” and said the Cabinet would look at how to implement its

policy on social security. He could not announce a decision which had not been made, he said. Mr Whitlam’s visit The Australian Prime Minister (Mr Whitlam) would visit New Zealand next month, and recognition of Chffia will be one of the items on the agenda of his talks, said Mr Kirk. Asked what New Zealand intended to do about the recognition of China, he said this was one of the matters he had reserved for discussion with Mr Whitlam. The date of Mr Whitlam’s visit had not been decided, but he expected it to be in January. Voting in U.N. Mr Kirk said he would take a close look at New Zealand’s voting record in the United Nations with a view to avoiding as much as possible the need to abstain on votes. New Zealand’s latest abstention, on a vote about Rhodesia, was an improvement on earlier positions, he added, but it did not please him entirely. Asked about future trading relations with South Africa, Mr Kirk said he did not believe that sanctions proved effective. There was nothing to suggest that this had been so with Rhodesia. President’s message He said he had received a message of congratulations from President Nixon. . He could not recall whether it contained an invitation to go to Washington, but Mr Kirk said he had no immediate plans to do so. He would not go overseas until it was necessary. Mr Kirk said that the Minister of Overseas Trade (Mr Walding) would be very largely in charge of negotiations on New Zealand’s relationships with the European Economic Communitv.

On National Service, Mr Kirk said: “When it stops, it stops.” This implies that the obligation of those now completing their territorial training would also be cancelled. Precise details would probably be announced on Monday, he added, and the Attorney-General (Dr Finlay) was looking into the question of those who had already breached National Service Registration regulations. Problems of Coast Mr Kirk said that, in line with election undertakings, a national development team would visit the West Coast next week to investigate employment problems. The Minister of Mines (Mr Colman) would also visit the area. The Government would attempt to make decisions more quickly than occurred under the National Government, Mr Kirk said. He thought the previous Government had fallen into the clutches of committees. Manapouri action Mr Kirk also said that he had already written to Mr R. J. McLean, the chairman of the Save Manapouri Committee, asking for the organisation to name five persons to be guardians of Lake Manapouri and Lake Te Anau. He hoped these appointments would be made by Christmas. The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Watt), who is also the Minister of Works, said this evening that he had informed the Electricity Department that the level of Lake Manapouri should be held within’ its present normal levels. ' And the Minister of Electricity (Mr McGuigan) today instructed the general manager of the Electricity Department that the levels of Lake Manapouri and Lake Te Anau must be held at their natural levels. (Ministry, page two)