SALARY SHARING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22349, 21 February 1936, Page 10

SALARY SHARING

GOVERNMENT'S PLAN ; • ■ • ■- - v yf. discussion by caucus M SCHEME TAKING SHAPE" ■ FINANCIAL POLICY OUTLINED [BY TELEGRAPH— OWN CORRESPONDENT] > / • WELLINGTON, Thursday "There will be no great difficulty in .. putting into operation the proposal to associate Labour members of Parliament with Ministers on the basis of sharing salaries," said the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, this evening, after a fully representative party caucus at Parliament House had adjourned its first sitting. "It is only a matter of arranging the best methods for getting the work done, and I cannot see any insurmountable difficulties. "A considerable part of our time today was given to discussion of that question," Mr. Savage continued, "but details were not settled. Several suggestions as to the best way to co-opt . members or associate them with Ministers were considered, and a practicable scheme is taking shape. The subject will be given further consideration when the caucus resumes to-morrow. I am confident that the plan will be completed." Not Matter of Sacrifice Replying to a question as to' Ministers sharing their salaries with the rank and file members of Parliament, the Prime Minister said it was not a matter of individual sacrifice at all. "It is not suggested," he added, "that Ministers and associated members should receive equal amounts for their work. "Of course, Ministers certainly will receive substantially less than the usual honoraria, but that does not matter. Our aim is to get the best possible service—the best possible team work, if you like to put it that way. No one man can do the job the Labour Government and the Labour Party have sot out to do. "We must do the best we can within the four corners of the Civil List, and there is np other way of rewarding service. Our principal ob- • jective is to provide substantial benefits for the people of New Zealand during the Parliamentary life of the first Labour Government. If we can succeed in that, monetary rewards really will not matter." Legislation Discussed The caucus was attended by the 55 elected Labour members of the House of Representatives and by the Hon. Mark Fagan, Minister without portfolio and Leader of the Legislative Council. "Yes," agreed Mr. Savage, "the Labour Party caucus looked like a record muster for the New Zealand 'Parliament, and it is neither formality nor a fulsome comment to say that the spirit of unity and goodwill was perfect as far as the Government's legislative programme was concerned. A brief outline of our financial policy was given and discussed, and it will be given further consideration to-morrow. "The question of the date for the opening of Parliament was not discussed, and is not likely to be raised. As I have said before, the session will oj>en as soon as possible after the principal bills in the Government's programme have been completed by the law draftsman. The drafting of the measures is in progress and there will be plenty of important work for Parliament when it opens in the near future."