OVERSEAS POSTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 13 February 1942, Page 2

OVERSEAS POSTS

BILL BEFORE HOUSE THE APPOINTMENT OF PARI. I. \ MENTA RIANS WILL NOT NOW SUFFER DISQUALIFICATION ‘ (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington. This Day. It has become necessary to appoint representatives overseas; one has been appointed, and 1 don’t know but that it may be necessary to apj point others.” the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) said in the House of Representatives last night when moving the second reading of the Overseas Representatives Bill. for which j urgency was taken and which was introduced and passed within half an hour. The Bill was similar to measures passed for the same purpose in other i Dominions and in the United Kingdom. Mr Fraser said. In short, it provided that a Minister or member of the Legislature could represent New | Zealand overseas without suffering disqualifications that had applied in the* past. The Leader of tin- Opposition (Mr Holland) said that the Bill was an interesting one in that it changed the procedure that had been followed in the past and which led to a member suffering certain disqualifications. The Bill proposed to remove those disqualifications and that was a step J m the right direction. If New Zea--1 land was to be represented overseas j the best representative was one w ho • had been elected to represent the people. Did the Bill open the way tor a i full discussion regarding the repreI sentation on New Zealand in various : ways overseas? Mr Holland asked, or would the Government give the House another opportunity lor a full debate on the question? A large body of opinion considered that New Zealand should be represented on a Council of Empire at Washington. There now appeared to be a move to have that Council in London and consequently it might be necessary to | appoint another Minister there or ! send Mr Nash there and appoint ani other Minister to Washington. : Then there was the question of New , ! Zealand being represented in the British War Cabinet by a member of i the Cabinet or of the House. A great ! many people thought that that reprei sentation could take a consultative [ form. So far that method had worked quite satisfactorily and he was sure all New Zealanders were grateful for the consideration given to our representations. On the other hand, there was the suggestion that New Zealand might be represented by a direct Minister from the House. If that course were adopted the Minister would have to be resident in London and take a full share in the responsibilities for conducting the war. That would have the disadvantage of the Minister not having the advantage of first-hand knowledge of conditions in New Zealand. There would have to be a good deal of give and take, but these important questions should be debated before the Government arrived at a conclusion, and it would meet the wishes of the Opposition if the Prime Minister would say that an opportunity would be given for a debate at some future date. Mr J. A. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn) asked if the measure would have the effect of confirming the membership of someone in the House, if that member were not in New Zealand at the time of a general election. “As I have read it,” he said, “it seems to me that some members ; will retain their membership in the House if there is a general election.” } An Opposition member: Where do j you read that? The Prime Minister said that that j was not so. What the Bill provided was that the member overseas would , have the right to stand at a general election. Mr Lee said that lie had thought 1 that it meant that the representative ■ would continue as a member. Mr Fraser: Oh, that would be over the odds, but I am sure the same courtesy will be extended to our j Ministers as to our members overseas, j The Minister of Public Works (Mr, Armstrong): We will all. go overseas, j (Laughter.) Mr W. J. Poison (National, Stratford): Do you think it is a fair thing j to disfranchise a group of electors ( for a long period? Mr Lee: I don’t, but I do think that 1 is a fine thing that we can exchange j representatives with the people who 1 are helping us. There were features in the Bill which should receive very serious consideration. Sir Alfred Ransom (National, Pahiatua) said. The appointment of an Ambassador in Wash- j ington was desirable because of the war. but should that appointment continue at the conclusion of the war? ! Mr Fraser: Not necessarily by a , Cabinet Minister or a member of the j House. That is a matter for consideration. Sir Alfred also asked what remuneration was to be paid to the Minister. It should be a worthy one. Replying to the debate. Mr Fraser said that a full-dress debate on the question of the Dominion’s representation overseas could be taken at some later stage of the session. The Bill was not designed for the purpose of giving any member a lease in perpetuity. It would merely give a member overseas the right to remain on the electoral roll, and an opportunity to be nominated as a candidate. The Bill being an exceptional one I to meet exceptional conditions, Mr! Fraser said, it would not be continued , after the war. Fresh arrangements should be made for normal times. The country might-then be renresented by ! someone other than a Minister or a : member: perhaps bv an ex-member | of the House. Replying to Sir Alfred Ransom’s i query about remuneration, Mr Fraser said that he could not give the figures at present, but the figure must be very substantial. The expenses of any legation in Washington were high indeed. New Zealand had secured a very good house in the vicinity of the British Legation, and while he did not think that the New Zealand Legation expenses would be as heavy as Australia’s the Dominion could not be placed at a disadvantage, because of expense. The Bill was put through its remaining stages and passed.