N.Z. govt an ‘elected dictatorship’

Press, 9 October 1980, Page 22

N.Z. govt an ‘elected dictatorship’

Government in New Zea-> land tends to be an elected! dictatorship, the member of: Parliament for Christchurch i Central (Mr G. W. R. Palmer} has told a meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Institute of Public., Administration. Decision-making veered i towards an authoritarian; model,! and between the! three-yearly elections, citizens had only a small role in Government, he said. Occasionally, the strength of opinion on an issue forced the government to listen to the public, but it would be better if there were greater opportunity for continuing public participation in deci-h sions. ■■ I People had lost their faith ; in the way Government deci- •; 1 sions were made. They! wanted more democracy andii participation; less secrecy | i and dictatorship, he said. it

! Answering a question after! the meeting, Mr Palmer said' there was consultation with • the public on legislation! sometimes, but this was at | the whim of the Minister I concerned, and not a re-1 quirement under law. Although there was a dan-, ger that pressure groups i icould dominate, because the: j“oil tends to go to the' ; squeakiest wheel,” there was : I a need for consultation with; consumers, not just organis- i ations affected by proposed ; legislation. One of the most important' recent changes to govern-| ment was the referral of all i bills, except those on finance, to a select committee.This made for better planned; legislation, prevented bills | jbeing rushed through Parlia-I ment, and gave the" public ai ■chance to be heard. ;; The success of select com-;i mittees could be improved < by providing more staff fac-il ilties for committees to get! their own expert opinion, by < increasing the number dfi< members of Parliament, by i I

giving select committees more time, by making them open to the public, and by keeping record's of hearings. Mr Palmer said 7 select committees should also ..travel round New Zealand and be advertised. They should

I : be able to initiate their own I : inquiries on the need for i I legislation. i I Restraint was needed on 1 ; the power of the ■ Executive. ! iCouncil to make regulations.; ■ (Regulations were useful for} i Ideating with detail and tech-1 jnical matters, for. ex-; I perimentation' and for allow-! ling quick action, but they: i I were dangerous because they} I ;could be passed without Par*; 14 lianiemiry or J political de-j ! bate. i I “Too often Parliament: I I signs a blank cheoue to the j Executive to make regu-; lations," he said, i Too many statutes gave} j the Executive the power to; i override other acts of Parlia-; I ment. These had included; I the Remuneration Act, the: Economic Stabilisation Act, j the Commerce Amendment; S Act, the National Devel-: i opment Act and the Public; y Safety Conservation Act. Mr} Palmer said he would like to t see these repealed. - The Statutes Revision: i Committee did have the! ij power to review regulations,!

ilßut. although .it was beginr; ning to flex its muscles, ft ; had taken a “modest i cautious” view of A ffs ’ •jpowers. ■ ■■. . .; Mr Palmer said that in the 'snext General Election - the •j Labour Party would put for- ■ I ward the most corri■'preherisive package on open ; government that had ever, “been put by any- political ; party in New Zealand. It {would include Parliamentary I reform, a package on law* making with the aim to sitnI plify law, greater freedom of (information, and civil liber* i ties. He said it was also time '■to look seriously at the msit? liter of a bill of rights so that ■ “certain fundamental rights ■ can be entrenched without ■alteration by a temporary majority in Parliament.” : j •: “The quality of govemiment in our country can he {improved by making a polijtical issue out of it,” he ■ said, “Politicians will change I the ground rules only when I ithe people demand it.”