The Dominion TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1931. FOUR-YEAR TERM FOR PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 63, 8 December 1931, Page 7

The Dominion TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1931. FOUR-YEAR TERM FOR PARLIAMENT

There is'mueh to. recommend and litfc, to th ' “r.'" Mor/eopb" we°e askld“ould joWy be foundm & £on°n3y»? “ ar e e f Xcientty an authorisation to the House ° f W-rth: £ e ge d Se°lan justified on the 'score 1 of increased legislative and administrative effiamqr. Under ?£e system Parliament’s life has been .«= three staves. The first session, and first year of its lite, is aevoieu to the “settling in’’ process and a great, many election speeches get a second airing in Parliament; the second IS supposed 10 be .the working session; and the third is unsettled and hurried by the rooroach of another appeal to the electorate. That may not be an altogether fair summary, and it has not applied m recent trouWous times, but it is near enough to the ordinary round to illustrate its waste^a nd mefficie ijf e Parliament should be able to devote half instead of a third of its term to work, members should become more familiar with and expert in their duties and. be enabled to take a longer view Short views in policy in the past begotten opportunism and expediency—all that,goes under -the name of “politics” when used slightingly—and have hampered Jte application of principles and the exercise of statesmandup ‘Another gain would be the saving in expense both by individual members and by the country by holding elections at longer The greatest advantage, however, would be represented by greater political stability. This would accrue not only from a steadier tone in Parliament but also from the increased confidence with which the country could go about its business. Frequent elections give rise to uncertainty; in their shadow trade and commerce are inclined to mark time. People cannot plan ahead with assurance when a material factor in their calculations, Government policy, is liable to change. Thus expansion and new enterprise are curtailed or' postponed. Administrative functions must also be impeded by frequent elections. It is true, however Ministries may come or - go, that the Government of the country continues but the pace may yary. Departmental heads may well hold up decisions when there is an early prospect of change in the Ministers to whom they are answerable Such uncertainty does not make for smooth working or the even spread of effort. How can it when the whole direction may be changed by the verdict given at the polls? Another aspect of the same point is that our system has been described as government by amateurs. But there are degrees of amateurism and, given a longer tenure, Ministers can approach nearer to the expertness that should make for efficiency. ... . In other British countries, with the exception of Australia which New Zealand would not wish to take for a model, the full life of Parliament is four or five years. There is therefore good and ample precedent for'a change. Indeed the arguments in favour are over- 1 whelming provided Parliament is satisfied that it is not going behind the electors’ backs in making it and that there is no substantial body of public opinion opposed to the extension.