THE GAME OF POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1930, Page 10

THE GAME OF POLITICS.

It is not difficult to understand the irritation expressed by the member for Egmont, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, at the waste of time involved in the no-con-fidence and Address-in-Reply debates in the House of Representatives. No doubt as part of the game of politics the Leader of the Opposition may claim that his motion was. worth while, but in a - session that bristles with problems demanding the most urgent attention the debate appeared but a scandalous waste of time and public money. As Mr. Wilkinson pointed out, there was not a single political principle involved in the motion of no-eonfidenee, and it seemed to dissipate any chance of that co-opera-tion between all sections of the House that is needed more than anything else if the difficulties in the way of the country’s progress are to be overcome by legislative effort. The member for Egmont is a commercial man of many years experience, and for such men to enter Parliament often entails considerable personal sacrifice. When to this is added the helplessness of the private member who is anxious to see real progress made with legislation for which there is urgent need, and the fact that the game of politics must apparently be played according to time honoured custom instead of in accordance with circumstances as they exist, the reluctance of business men to seek election to Parliament may be understood and appreciated. An already abbreviated session has been seriously interfered with by the inevitable adjournment last week as an expression of the respect felt for the late Sir Joseph Ward. No exception could have been taken to this by the electorate, but it has a right to demand that on account of this unavoidable delay the legislative programme shall be speeded up. It is safe to say that even its mover had not the faintest belief that the no-confidence motion would be carried, but still the farcical debate was long drawn out. .Every member of the House should bear in min£ that if ever New Zealand needed, good work from that need exists to-day. There 'are many who doubt the ability of Parliament to do much towards solving the difficulties confronting the country. . It is up to the House of Representatives to show that it is at least earnest in its endeavour to do so. At present public opinion is by no inejpis assured Tn regard to this.