ACTION BY CABINET CRITICIZED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 172, 18 April 1939, Page 10

ACTION BY CABINET CRITICIZED

Hutt Valley Development Plan Cabinet’s action had beeu a shock to democratic rights, said the mayor, Mr. G. London, at last night’s meeting of the Petone Borough Council, in referring to the circumstances of the appointment of the Government Town Planner, Mr. J. Mawson, to curry out the Hutt Valley plan. The mayor said that a conference of local bodies was called by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry. As a result, a cothmittee of experts was set up with Mr. Parry’s approval. Now Cabinet had wiped out the committee and appointed Mr. Mawson without first referring th( matter back to the local bodies. “It Is a dangerous procedure to allow' a Government servant to be sole judge of the Hutt Valley’s development plan,” said the mayor. “It is all very well to say that there has been an, over-riding of democratic rights, but we are doing this daily: though I do not agree with the principle, we cannot complain when someone else does it,” said Cr. J. Cumming. 'To set up one expert as sole judge was a risky precedent, said Cr. J. R Gaynor. “The Government executed a volte face without having the common courtesy to refer the nurtter back to the committee first,” said Cr. A. M Macfarlane. A motion of protest was passed without dissent.