DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18320, 10 August 1921, Page 5

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

MR MYERS’S SUGGESTION. • (Peb United Veess Association.) WELLINGTON, August 9. Recently the Hon, A. M. Myers mode the suggestion that in order to avoid interruption of the business of Parliament by the absence of the Prime Minister at the Imperial Conference, there should be appointed by constitutional procedure a Deputy Prime Minister, after each general election, who would carry on all the functions of the office during the absence of the Prime Minister in London. Criticising this suggestion, Sir Francis 801 l stated that after filling the office of Acting-Prime Minister during Mr Massey’s absence, he is satisfied that the suggestion offers no solution to the problem. “There oan be only one Prime'Minister, and the true solution to the difficulty/’ he said, “is that when the Imperial Conference is held there should be an agreement between all parties that the business of Ihfe session of that year shall be confined to useful legislation, and party politics should for the time being be postponed. It should be a business session. By that means each dominion oould ensure that Parliament should continue its part of the essential work in the absence of the Prime Minister. A government could carry on tho business of legislation without the Prime Minister, for the reason that the Prime Minister has necessarily approved of measures which the Government has prepared .for the consideration of each session.’’