CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1931, Page 6

CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

It docs not require much imagination to ■see in the attitude of the British Minister for tho Dominions a desire to take advantage of the new constitutional outlook of the British Commonwealth of [Nations. As is well known, it includes full equality of status between the Imperial and the Dominion Governments. The importance of the constitutional change has been .stressed by some Dominion Governments, notably South Africa and the Irish Free State. It has remained for Australia to furnish the first example of the new order of things affording relief to the Government of Great Britain. In New South Wales conflict of opinion has arisen between the Ministry and the State Governor over appointments to the Legislative ■Council. The Government holds that the Governor is bound to accept the advice of his Ministers, whatever it may be, and this view has not been accepted by the Governor. A protest has been made to the Imperial Government, with, it is said, a demand for the recall of the Governor. Had the old status of . the Dominions remained, tho British Ministry would have found it necessary to give a ruling, and to do so with promptitude. To-day it can afford to ponder over the matter and permit a > suave Secretary, for the Dominions to inform Parliament many weeks later tha£ the matter is “still under consideration,” and as that Parliament is just aboiit to close its session there is little likelihood of further discussion of the constitutional issue raised. Presumably tho British Government is taking the view that if the Australian Government stands on equal terms with that of Great Britain the duty of settling any internal constitutional difficulties lies with the Commonwealth authorities. They, remembering tho rapidity with which the “State rights” bogey can be raised, will probably be as loath to handle the matter as Downing Street appears to bo. Were conditions less critical in New South Whies tho whole matter might be regarded as one of those touches of comic relief that from time to time enliven the prosaic duties of self-government. As things are, it looks as though the State Ministry is dissipating energies that might well be applied to problems which are real, and exceedingly ominous.