COUNCILS OF SPORT

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 130, 29 November 1945, Page 11

COUNCILS OF SPORT

FREE FROM POLITICS

MINISTERIAL REPLY

An emphatic denial to an assertion of Mr. N. A. McKenzie, at the annual meeting of the NeAV Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, that political considerations come into the functioning of councils of sport, was given yesterday by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry). Mr. McKenzie's remarks, he said, indicated that he was peculiarly biased in the matter, and it was evident that he had not accurately observed the working of the councils. The whole system had been clearly explained frequently, especially in his statement to Parliament a year ago, said Mr. Parry. The establishment of the New Zealand Council of Sport naturally followed the successful formation of provincial councils of sport. It was an official but independent body representing all sports, and acted as principal adviser to the Government on all matters affecting general sport in New Zealand. In the case of a particular sport, the association concerned was directly consulted. "An invitation to the Department to be represented on the council was appreciated but not accepted, because the Department wished the council to be entirely independent," continued the Minister. "No officer of the Department is permitted, by virtue of his official position, to be a member of the council or to attend the meetings of the council other than by invitation to discuss the merit of practicability of | some special scheme under consideration. GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE. "The Government has assisted in the establishment of the council with grants to cover annual expenses of administration and expenses incurred in special approved schemes. The Government will consider any schemes or suggestions put forward by the council" on their respective individual merits. The council is a medium for I consultation and co-operation between the individual sports bodies for mutual welfare. It has no right of interference in the domestic affairs of any sport, but proceeds by co-operation among its members for the common good of all sports. "Thus it will be readily recognised by any open-minded persons that the provincial councils and the New Zealand Council of Sport are self-govern-ing bodies wholly free from interference by the Government, through the Department of Internal Affairs or otherwise. Of course, the experience and knowledge of the Department's physical welfare officers are available for the councils wherever desirexl, but such helpfulness is utterly clear of political considerations. The non-political functioning of the physical welfare branch has been frankly admitted by many opponents of the Government and leading newspapers."