POLITICAL LARRIKINISM

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 54, 9 March 1943, Page 4

POLITICAL LARRIKINISM

IT is something of a tragedy that for a demonstration of flagrant ignorance of expression, deliberate flouting -of ordinary courtesy and decency, free ventilation of poisonous invective and a total disregard for the rules of debate, New Zealanders have but to tune in their radio receiving sets to the proceedings in Parliament House Wellington. We have in the past been brought to a sense of realisation as to just how the legislators of this country conducted their affairs, but the present session has removed all pretence of dignity or standing, and furnishes a new wealth of evidence as to why the best brains bf the country so studiously avoid the political arena. We can say without fear of contradiction that we have even in Whakatane attended meetings in town and country where such disorderlyness, such blatant interjections, pin-pricking, pettiness and gallery-playing would not have been tolerated for one instant. It would appear that our pattern for the conduct of debate has slipped to such' a state of degradation that even the smallest and most insignificant of our local bodies can now set it an example in manners, in discourse and in ordinary common or garden politeness between one human being and another. Apparently there is a wide divergence between the meaning of the term 'gentlemen' and that of 'honourable member.' The essence of civility and courtesy which v,|3 understand marks a gentleman is apparently hung up with the members hats in the Parliamentary ante-room, for certainly from the listeners point of view it is strictly barred from the debating arena. The; droning intonation, of Mr Speaker is in itself scarcely calculated to give a lead in decent deportment or expression, let alone the: fruitless appeals for a ruling as to what is allowed to pass as the King's English and what is to be withdrawn as undesirable and unpermissable slang or personalities. Thus the wearied listener, seeking a little diversion from the growing weight of business, farm and war re-i sponsibility is forced to sit out a session of pointless explanations regarding the estrangement between the Government and the Broadcasting Controller, the spleen of a recently outlawed overseas Commisssioner and the personal baiting of the House in general by the leader of a twoman Party with ambitious asperations. The. effect upon the average listener is very similar to the commotion which attended a reccnt long overdue wool sale in one of Whakatane's leading shops, and of which our representative was unfortunate enough to get, what is classically termed, a momentary 'eye-full.'