PARLIAMENT FLOUTEd.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 972, 12 November 1910, Page 4

PARLIAMENT FLOUTEd.

: The contempt ill which the Prime ' Minister holds Parliament has perhaps _ never, been more forcibly exemplified than in the House of Representatives last evening.' A cablegram published in tho newspapers yesterday stated that a loan of five million pounds—the largest loan, we bolievo, ever put on the London market by this country—had been issued, and the Leader of the' Opposition naturally asked Sib Joseph Ward if he could give the House any information concerning it. The reply he received was an insult to tho intelligence of Parliament, and a slight on tho whole country. Sir Joseph Ward refused point blank to give any information whatever on the subject, and he professed to be astonished that anyone _ should seek such information. This of course was nothing but the flimsiest bluffbluff which could deceive no one but tho most ignorant. It was, indeed, completely exposed as such by the disclosures which he himself made concorning the loan later in the evening. But ho desired at the moment to convey the impression that something was being asked for likely to prejudice the flotation of the loan, hoping thereby to silence his questioners. All that was really asked was that the country should be told whether it. was correct that the loan was being floated, and what it was for. It is truly amazing that the Prime Minister should think himself privileged to keep such information from the people, whose credit is being pledged, especially in view of the fact that the information must already bo in circulation in London. But it is.still more amazing that Parliament should tamely submit to such contemptuous treatment. _ Sin Joseph Ward adopts the attitude that he, and he alone, is entitled to know anything at all about the real inwardness of the finances of the Dominion, and he surrounds these loan transactions with an amount of mystery that is bound to set tongues wagging. To properly realise the utter usclessness of the Government party as a check on even the most extravagant behaviour of Ministers,_ wo would commend to tho attention of our readers the votes cast on two motions moved last .evening by Mr.' James Allen and Mr. Herdman. The former brought forward a proposal that the Government should within twelvo months after the flotation of any loan lay the particulars before Parliament. This was negatived by 45 votes to 27. Mr. Herdman then moved to provide that such information should be laid before Parliament within two years. Our readers may find it difficult to credit the' fact, but again the Government majority voted solidly to prevent Ministers being compelled to disclose to the public the details of loan transactions even within two years of their happening. Why this extreme anxiety to _ cover up these transactions? During tho whole of its existence up to 1901 the public debt of the country totalled to only £<19,000,000. In the ten years since that date over £30,000,000 has been added to that debt. Including the £5,000,000 now being raised the public debt amounts to over £80,000,000. Yet the Prime Minister refuses to disclose details of past loan transactions, which other Governments have always given, and uses his subservient majority to block any possibility of his being compelled to discloso tho information within a period of two years, Particulars' of

loan transactions four years old: have not yet been made public. Has the .country such unbounded confidence in this so-called wizard of finance that it not only gives him these huge borrowing powers, but is willing to permit him to keep secret so long as pleases him the details of the loan-raising transactions 1 Has it any confidence at all in men who not only permit the head of the Government to do these things, but actively support him in defeating a proposal to compel publicity after the lapse of a reasonable period ? We would commend to the attention of tho electors in this district those members who voted with tho Government to prevent proper publicity being given to the details of these loan transactions. Their conduct should not be overlooked next year, and we shall take good care that it is not.

It is very unfortunate for these members that their timid leader was unable to see the sitting through without the customary somersault. Later in the evening, fearing no doubt the consequences of his open defiance of the country—for Parliament itself, owing to the subservience of his following, he cares little —ho withdrew in part from his outrageous attitude, and deigned to disclose a portion of the information which previously he had professed to regard it as improper to make, public. His excuse for this sudden change of front was that he had not earlier in the day the information asked for. Possibly the Prime Minister did obtain fuller information later, but does he wish the country to believe that he floats five-million loans without knowing the conditions .of flotation ? We do not think that even Sir Joseph Ward would venture to say that he authorised the raising of a fivemillion loan without knowing the terms of flotation. The truth is, of course, as we have pointed out before, that the Government act ab though they regarded the affairs of the country as their own private concern. Their obedient majority permits them to do practically as they please—they keep back or give information as it suits them; they flout Parliament, override protests by sheer weight of numbers, and go plunging on recklessly. Yet underlying all this bounce and bluster, is a deep and a growing fear. They realise that while they can do as they please with Parliament, their hold on' the country has slackened and is weakening every day. Their constant changes of front are duo to their desperate efforts to regain their hold on the public. Lacking in courage;, lacking in guiding principles; lacking in all that makes for good government, they are piling up a record of incompetence, inconsistency, and recklessness that must eventually damn them in the eyes of the whole country. ■ - . j