The Northern Advocate FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 1913. FALSE DIVISIONS.

Northern Advocate, 22 August 1913, Page 4

The Northern Advocate FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 1913. FALSE DIVISIONS.

"What is it that keeps the reasonable, moderate men apart in the House Is it the country or party? " asked Mr. Mander during his contribution to the Budget debate the other evening, and answering the question himself said he was " afraid the reason was party," and that the only way of securing relief was by adopting the Elective Executive system Of course, the reason is party, and the objection to the artificial division thus created is that not only does it keep men apart, but makes prisoners of their souls and causes them to do things for which they are unable to find defence. A party that finds itself in Opposition spends the whole of its time in criticising with hostility the legislation and administration of the Government — endeavouring by every available means to make both legislation and administration not only difficult but impossible. In opposition it will denounce the things it supported when in office, and vice versa, when in a position of ascendency will commit itself to conduct and policies it had fiercely condemned when wandering in the wilderness. The consequence is, of course, to give to political and particularly to parliamentary disputation an unreality at once fatal to the authority of Parliament and a danger to the public interest. Let, for purposes of illustration, a Minister for Finance bring forward a certain set of proposals. The merit of these is not considered. The nominal supporters of the Minister immediately throw up their hands in glee and proclaim them to be the quintessence of wisdom. His opponents take the opposite line, and rudely accuse the Minister of being a bungler of quite exceptional degree and a trifler with the public funds. Thus the party game goes on, making of every conceivable subject the sport of injudicious quarrel and personal ambition. No valid reason exists for this, or ever has existed. Indeed, the position is so wildly grotesque as to be impossible of even plausible excuse. Yet there are many members of Parliament who glory in their servitude, and believe that in supporting a system which makes of Ministers the masters of Parliament instead of its servants, they are in some indefinable, mysterious manner " acting according to the constitution." The idea seems too ridiculous for human credence, yet it nevertheless exists, and has to be reckoned with. But in the constituencies recognition is rapidly growing of the truth of the contention that the party system is imposing evils of the grossest kind on the country, and must, from its very nature, continue to be a disturbing, vicious influence. Why

should Parliament not carry on its business in the way followed by any other deliberative assembly? The only possible answer is that it does not do so because we blindly adopted a system alien to the country and to the spirit of the people—a system which in the land of its origin was born in the ignoble intrigues of Walpole, and is now an admitted anacronism. By - adopting the system of an Elective Executive the people of New Zealand would roll from the body politic a great dead weight of humbug, and allow Parliament to serve the constituencies with an honest singleness of purpose.