FOUR RESIGNATIONS.
The four Ministers who suffered defeat at the general election lost no time in resigning their portfolios, for it now appears all of them took that action on Monday. They could not have been forced to do this so promptly after the official declaration of the polls; that they have is probably due to anxiety to be correct in their actions, to avoid having it said they clung to office after having
lost their seats in Parliament, and incidentally drew the salary attached to the position. Had they waited until the Prime Minister and his remaining colleagues relinquished office, they might have remained within the four corners of the Constitution, but the position would have been anomalous. A .lumber of departments would have been nominally under the control of Ministerial heads who could not appear in Parliament. Consequently if questions were asked, or any policy point challenged, no answer could have been given except at second hand. Even for the few days intervening before the issue of a change of Government is settled, somebody has to hold the relinquished portfolios. New Ministers could scarcely be appointed in
the circumstances. Therefore those who remain in the Cabinet have shared among themselves the departments deprived of their heads. The result is an apparent heaping up of burdens and duties that is surely without precedent, and under other conditions would be ludicrous. It is really of little moment, for it can be imagined that nothing seriously requiring Ministerial endorsement will be attempted until the position is defined. There is, however, a large amount of routine work involving proclamations, Gazette notices, and other documents which must have a Ministerial signature. Provision has been made for this, and, though Mr. Coates will face Parliament with a depleted Cabinet, ho will have somebody to answer for every de-
partment. Nothing more is necessary, and the four are now entirely divested of official responsibility.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20116, 29 November 1928, Page 10
Word Count
319FOUR RESIGNATIONS. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20116, 29 November 1928, Page 10
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