ANZAC PACT

Evening Star, Issue 25083, 26 January 1944, Page 6

ANZAC PACT

PARLIAMENT HOT IGNORED OPPOSITION LEADER ANSWERED fPA) WELLINGTON, Jan. 25. The Acting Prime Minister, Hon. D. G Sullivan, referring to-day to the criticism' of the Leader of the Opposition, Mr S. G. Holland, 1 regarding the ratification of the Australian-New Zealand agreement, said it was evident that Mr Holland had not taken tie trouble to consider the meaning of the term "ratification " and what was necessary in an agreement of this kind. 1 In intergovernmental agreements all that was necessary for ratification twas that l it should be accepted by thej Government on whose behalf it had been negotiated. This clearly meant it should be considered by Cabinet, which was the executive organ of the Government, and should it be confirmed by ;that body it was then ratified. Formal notification to this effect was then given to the other party to the agreement. It was important in this connection, Mr Sullivan sard, to note that it was the customary function of the Executive, and not of Parliament, to enter into obligations of an international nature. It was not essential that ratification as such should be effected in the case of all intergovernmental agreements, and there were numerous examples of such agreements, such as the agreement. ... Continuing, Mr Sullivan said he must make it clear that, while the Australian-New Zealand agreement would be considered by the Cabinet immediately on the retih-n of the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, with a view to its ratification, it would also be submitted to Parliament for approval as soon as possible after it assembled next month. The essential rights of Parliament in this matter would not be disregarded, nor had there ever been any suggestion or intention that they would be. Mr Holland had commented that the agreement would not receive a unanimous vote of approval. At the same time he had gone on to say that the text of the agreement would be studied this we.ek by one of his much-advertised working committees of caucus.

There was surely a degree of inconsistency in such a statement, Mr Holland continued. How was it possible to prejudge a document which obviously

neither Mr Holland nor.his party, on his own admission, had. carefully examined? Since the examination was still to take place, Mr!Sullivan said, he earnestly hoped Mr Holland and his colleagues would give sh'ious thought to the terms of the agreement, that they would endeavour to free'their minds of political prejudice, and tlat they would find that they were able: to walk, with their fellow-New Zealantlers arid with the people of Australia, to a realisation of those aims which animated this noble and purposeful instrument. Mr Sullivan added that the agreement appeared to have wen the approval not only of the people of. Australia and New Zealand, but of certain commentators in Britain, and he considered that Mr Holjand' could have ivaited till the Prime Minister and his .colleagues had returned and explained in detail the provisions of the agreement to Parliament before rushing impulsively into a denunciation. !