OBJECTIONS AND ADVANTAGES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160731, 18 August 1920, Page 8

OBJECTIONS AND ADVANTAGES.

An obvious •objection to Sir William Steward’s proposals was that they inevitably would lead to the election of the members of the. Ministry by tho dominant party in the House, and not by the House as a. whole. The leader of the dominant party in the House, who would have established himself in his position at the preceding election, would nominate his Ministers to the caucus, and tho caucus would confirm their appointment under the provision:! of the Elective Executive legislation. It is conceivable, of course, that the dominant party might contain a sufficient number of members of “independent” tendencies to upset thy choice of their leader by coalescing with tho Opposition, but in this case it would be open to the leader to resign and to throw upon the malcontents the responsibility of disorganising and possibly defeating the party they had been (returned to support. On the other hand, it was argued by Sir W’illiam Steward and his friends that the election of the Executive of the House wouli lead to the selection of tho best mc-n available, would check the arrogance of a self-willed leader, would make each Minister responsible for the administration of his own Departments, and would enable the House to get rid of an unsatisfactory member of the Cabinet without dismissing the whole of his colleagues. All these advantages, however, would depend upon the Prime Minister being prepared to abrogate the privileges and authority he enjoys under tho present Constitution, and to settle down* as a member of a team in which ho would have no more effective voice than the least of his colleagues. It would bo an act of self-abnegation that would not come easy to the average party leader.