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LABOUR ADMINISTRATION

The first clear-cut plan announced by the Government is in the administrative field. Each Minister is to be assisted by a committee of private members and under a salary pooling system those in the Cabinet will surrender part of their salaries to expand the honoraria of the rank and file of the Labour Party. Seeing that no extra charge is made on the Consolidated Fund the electorate will be less excited over the new departure than the politicians. For better or for worse a new system of administration is to be tried, and the judgment of the country will be made solely upon results. The question, however, has some academic interest. It may be argued that the system will tend to make politicians more professional than ever, though it appears members who have paid jobs apart from Parliamentary duties are not to be forbidden these earnings. The only provision in that direction is that the sums will bo taken into account. This being so, a member who has no private job will receive part of the salaries of the members who have. But that is purely a private matter. It may further be argued that with private members bearing a certain amoxint of administrative responsibility they will have less opportunity to keep in touch with public opinion in their electorates. Their obvious retort will be that the fact of their sharing administrative responsibility will give to their particular supporters a feeling that their votes at the poll are having greater direct influence than ever before. The middle-of-the-road man, who often cuts a wide swathe, will look on silently, but may ask himself what will be the effect upon Ministerial mana. But that also is a matter of private concern for the Labour Party.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19360224.2.32

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22351, 24 February 1936, Page 8

Word Count
295

LABOUR ADMINISTRATION New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22351, 24 February 1936, Page 8

LABOUR ADMINISTRATION New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22351, 24 February 1936, Page 8