TAKE THE MEDICINE

Evening Star, Issue 21231, 12 October 1932, Page 1

TAKE THE MEDICINE

COMMISSION’S CRITICISM OF PARLIAMENT MR ANSELL'S ADVICE [From Our Parr.l amr n t arV Reporter.] WELLINGTON, October 11. Parliament’s prestige and the responsibility that members have in its maintenance were the subject of outspoken comment by Mr Ansell in the House today when referring to some of the criticism levelled at the final report of tho National Expenditure Commission. “It is time we asked ourselves whether we have done our part to build, up the prestige of this House,” said Mr Ansell, “ and whether we are_ not demanding from others something that we are not prepared to offer to them.”' Mr Ansell said he referred particularly to the denunciations which had been made of the members of the National Expenditure Commission, Not because of the work they had done, but because their ideas did not coincide with those of members of Parliament.. The members of the commission had been tho subject of personal abuse; and he considered it wrong for members of Parliament to launch such attacks. Members should criticise the findings, but not undertake personal abuse. “If we are so sensitive regarding what is said of ourselves,” he continued, “I suggest we shpuld take a look from , the other side of the fence, and examine our own actions a little more closely. The prestige of Parliament largely depends upon our own actions, and the assumption of responsibility that rests with us. The picture presented by the commission’s report is not a very pleasant one, but it is in my opinion a true one. If we don’t like this oil painting the commission has presented to us we should do our best to put things right. It has shown certain shortcomings in our administration which we have to face. I have sometimes wondered whether, in addition to being pretty severe criticism of past administration, it is not an indictment of democracy. We have to assume certain responsibilities. These acts of maladministration—if we choose to use the term —have been conducted in tho past, and we have to do our best to see that things are put right, and to remedy any of the deficiencies shown to us.

A Member: We will have to alter the parliamentary machine to do it. “ Yes,” agreed Mr Ansell, “ perhaps we will have to do 'that.”