NEW POSITIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 31, 5 August 1936, Page 7

NEW POSITIONS

UNDER-SECRETARIES

BILL INTRODUCED

Provision for the appointment of Parliamentary Under-Secretaries, at a salary of £600 a year, is contained in the Civil List Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives by Governor-General's Message yesterday afternoon and read a first time.

Under the Bill the Governor-General is empowered to appoint any member of the Legislative Council or House of Representatives to hold office as a Parliamentary. Under-Secretary, in relation to one or more Ministerial offices, and every such person appointed shall vacate his office on ceasing to become a member of either of the two legislative assemblies. It is provided, however, that no person who is in office immediately prior to. the dissolution of the General Assembly shall be deemed to have vacated his office. All appointees will hold office at the pleasure of the Governor-General.

In addition to a salary of £600. every Parliamentary Under-Secretary will be entitled to the same travelling allowances' as a Minister, and a residential allowance of £200.

: The clause dealing \yith the functions of an Under-Secretary states that he shall have and may exercise, under the direction of the Minister, such of the powers, duties, and functions of the Minister as may be assigned to him by the Minister. Every instrument executed by an Under-Secretary as such shall be as valid and effectiveyas if it had been executed by the Minister.

The Bill provides for an increase in the number of paid Ministers from ten to eleven, in addition to the Prime Minister, without an increase in the total salaries.

AN "ARMY"- NOT WANTED.

In reply to the Leader of the Opposition (the Rt. Hon. G. W.. Forbes) the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) said that the Bill gave power to appoint Under-Secretaries where they were needed. "We do not want an army" of them," said Mr. Savage. "We want them where there is a definite job to do. I have heard Ministers referred to as 'rubber-stamps.' I don't

think that is a bad name. The man is not born who can understand everything that is happening in, say, the raill way service and two or three other departments at- the same time. An Under-Secretaryis to provide whatever help js necessary in a Parliamentary sense. It is not a question of- appointing more civil servants. It is a question of utilising-additional service from ths side of the House so that the Government's policy will be put into operation and will, not lose anything in tlie process. Where there is a man with certain qualifications for a certain job. there should ber some way of utilising that service.. We shall probably make some appointments'. The Leader, of the Opposition can•take it from me that there is not going to he any army. We do not want to have all officers and no soldiers. When an. Uhder-Secretary is appointed he can bet his bottom dollar that he has a job to do; If he does not do it he will not stay there."

Mr. Savage said that the salary would be £600 a year, plus £200 house allowance r-nd travelling expenses on the scale for Ministers.

In reply to an interjection from Mr. Forbes, the Prime Minister said that he thought that members of Parliament should be paid. "They are not paid today," said Mr. Savage. ■

Mr. J. Thorn (Government. Thames) Who is responsible for that?

Mr. Savage: We are not. When we get othejr people on their feet, we will put members of Parliament on their feet. lam afraid that they have been on other people's feet up to now.