THE NEGATION OF DEMOCRACY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15432, 19 April 1912, Page 4

THE NEGATION OF DEMOCRACY.

Tiik insistence which, in his public utterances, the Lender of tho Opposition is laying upon the abrogation of constitutional principle involved in tho existence of the Ministry at present in oflice in New Zealand is completely warranted by the circumstances. Tho theory of constitutional government is that tho Advisers of the King's representative in a self-governing dominion shall, like the Advisers of the Sovereign in tho United Kingdom, possess tho confidenco of the pooplo as expressed through their elected representatives in Parliament. In this manner tho simple, democratic principle that tho majority shall rulo is applied to the conduct of our parliamentary institutions. A professedly democratic Government has in New Zealand, however, contrived that tho principle, which is the basis of all parliamentary practice in tho British dominions that are entrusted with the privilege of managing their own affairs upon a plan that accords more or Jess closely with democratic ideals, shall in the interests of its party be completely subverted. Hy a trick of which the majority of it.? supporters must have been ashamed, tho Government that met Parliament in February, though it did not possess the confidence of a majority of the electa! representatives of the people, clung to oflice. It was onlv through having given to Parliament the assurance that it would relinquish olHce that the Government at that time escaped Wing bundled out of oinco. ]lut it did not immediately give effect to its undertaking to resign. First of all, it secured a prorogation oi Parliament, and, later on, it secured a second prorogation—this time, as Mr Mnssey observes, for an exceptionally long |>eriixl—in order that another Government from its own side in politics might be brought into power and enjoy for a period of about three months immunity from attack in tho recognised parliamentary fashion. The effect of all this scheming was accurately stated by Mr Massev on Weducsdav night. "Today," he said, "there is a set of men in power who were never thought of at tho general election or in the short session, and who do not know

whether they possess tho confidenco of tlio Houso or not." Ilio probability is that tho present Ministers do not possess the oonfidonco of Parliament even to the extent to which it was accorded to their inmiediato predecessors in otlice, and they, as wo havo pointed out, did not command the confidence of a majority of tho members. Mr Anderson, in whoso honour members of tho Reform party from tho North Island as well as a number of representatives of southern constituencies attended a social meeting at Wyndham on Wednesday night, frankly declares that, taking the two sets of men, ho would volo for tho Ministers who went out of oflioo a few weeks ago rather than for the Ministers who stepped into their shoes. And wo havo very littlo doubt that tho feeling which is entertained by Mr Anderson on this subject Li shared with him by largo numbers of electors throughout tho Dominion. In the provincial district of Otago, which the new Piiino Minister has not considered worthy nf representation in his Cabinet, the public sentiment is much moro strongly opposed to tho Mackenzie Government than it was to tho Ward Administration, and it is difficult to imagine any reason why in any part of tho Dominion, except perhaps Canterbury, tho Government now in ollicc should be regarded more favourably than tho Government that was condemned bv the electors at tho polls in December last, 'the question whether tho Ministry in ollico at this timo does or does not possess the confidenco of Parliament, as tho mouthpieco of tho electors, is, however, one that should not be left to bo a matter of speculation. If tho system of democratic government that is supposed to be in operation in New Zealand wero truly in force wo should not bo presented with the spectacle of the existence of a Ministry which, while it is expending public funds and exercising its patronago, has never submitted itself to Parliament for approval, and cannot assuredly claim that it lias tho support of even a bare majority of the ejected representatives of the people.