Power of Executive criticised

Press, 4 December 1979, Page 13

Power of Executive criticised

Wellington The constitutional re■uirement for a GovernorGeneral to approve the •pending of public money for a bill before Parliament before it is allowed to get past the introductory stages was strongly criticised by the Social Credit leader (Mr g C. Beetham) at the Commonwealth Parliamentary’ Association conference at Wellington. “In practice the giving the Governor-General’s approval completely controlled by the Executive (Cabinet).” Mr Beetham said. “It means that it is the Executive, and not the eected representatives of the people, which decides which bills will be considered. passed, and become law "It is surely fundamental to the democratic process that no branch of government has the right to deny meaningful discussion of a legislative

proposal that is not to its liking.” Mr Beetham, a member of the New Zealand delegation at the conference which ended on Saturday, said this was all the more critical when the Executive represented merely a significant minority of the people, and not a majority. “It is my belief that appropriation requirements should be removed and this source of Executive power eliminated.” he said. “All bills representing all views should be capable of being heard and decided in Parliament without the Executive’s

having the power to veto meaningful discussion.” The Public Service was required because of the concentration of Executive power r o became more and more involved in wider and wider areas and in greater and greater detail, Mr Beetham said. “I believe the future of democracy is under threat

because of distortions that have arisen in the relationship between Parliament, the Executive and, to a lesser extent, the Public Service,” Mr Beetham said. The Executive must be answerable to a majority of Parliament, which in turn should represent a majority within the country.

“The privileged power of the Executive, exercised through the use of the appropriation clause, must be denied so that this branch of Government comes back into correct perspective with the other arms of Government,” Mr Beetham said.

He said it was unfortunate that when the Westminster system of government was combined with a first-past-the-post electoral system a situation could and did arise where one political party representing not even the largest minority could completely dominate Parliament with a consequent monopoly of

Executive power. “At times when change is needed and fundamental reforms must be applied, it is vital that the majority w’ill of the people prevails,” Mr Beetham told delegates. “To the degree that this is not so people will lose faith and confidence in the parliamentary system itself. “The alarm bells with regard to this problem are ringing in various countries now and part of the solution is to see that Parliament itself is more representative of the different political views and options for solutions to problems prevalent in the country at large.”

A Conservative peer, Lord Chelw'ood, a longtime member of the House of Commons before he became a life peer, said certain important reforms were overdue in Britain. He said he would like to see a fairer electoral system, incorporating some form of proportional representation, a stronger, more representative second chamber, and a House of Commons which haa much better control over the Executive. “Parliament must be vital, vigilant, and vigorous.” Lord Chelwood said.

Strong support for a bicameral Parliament with two Houses came from an Australian delegate, Mr George Shaw, an Independent member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council. — Of the 19 members of the Legislative Council. 16 w'ere Independent, he said. All members were elected by full adult franchise. The council was a permanent body which could not be dissolved, but three members retired every year to face the electors. This meant that in a fouryear term — the life of the Lower House — the people could change 12 members of the Legislative Council. Tasmania’s Lower house of Assembly was elected from five electorates, each returning seven members.

Mr Shaw said this was a sophisticated proportional representation system that ensured that seats won by the parties were proportional to the votes they received. “When I hear people from Queensland or New Zealand, which are but two examples, who employ the single electorate systems to elect a uni-cameral Parliament, complaining about government by the Executive,

government by regulation, and government by the Public Service, I thank God that the people of Tasmania have a bicameral (two houses) system with all the checks and balances so necessary over autocratic government in the vital areas that are the subject of this forum,” he said.

The conference, which does not pass resolutions or reach decisions, ended with a dinner at which the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) was host. In contrast with conference proceedings in the Beehive banquet hall during the week, which were marked by what some journalists covering the conference considered unenecessarily obtrusive security arrangements —

with uniformed police patrolling up and down inside the hall itself and more police outside — the Prime Minister's dinner, held at a city cabaret, was marked by a minimum of security.

Mr Muldoon put aside his prepared text to give a generally light-hearted, off-the-cuff speech to the 240 delegates and observers from 47 Federal and 56 state parliaments.

“Today's Parliaments seem to be filling up with earnest young lawyers — and this is sad for cheerful old accountants, or trade unionists and farmers,” he said. “I hope it doesn’t go too far otherwise we will get too much law out of our Parliaments.”

Mr D. R. Lange, deputising for Mr Rowling, in his first official speech as Deputy Leader of the Opposition, had a nice word to say for Mr Muldoon.

“1 recall with gratitude the speech of the Prime Minister at the opening of the conference setting out the goals and aims of my country,” he said. The new president of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is Mr Robinson Nabulyato, Speaker of Zambia’s National Assembly, who succeeds the speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives (Mr Harrison). The next C.P.A. Conference will be in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, Elected vice-president was the. Speaker of the Fiji House of Representa-

tives, the Honourable M. Quionibaravi. The new chairman of the Executive Committee is Mr Ripton MacPherson, speaker of Jamaica’s House of Representatives.