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BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Tuesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, NOV. 28, 1947 DEMOCRACY, OR—?

Probably the biggest political bombshell yet dropped into Parliament by the present Government ! is the Supply Regulations Bill, coupled with the Emergency Regulations Continuance Bill. Whatever the party affiliations of New Zealanders may be, it is a safe bet that practically every citizen of this country resents interference with the basic rights of free people, and that, in a nutshell, is just what this legislation boils down to. It proposes power for the Government to authorise by regulation the taking of possession of or control of any property of undertaking; it proposes authority for entry and search of any premises; in short, it is proposed that the Government may regulate the whole economic life of the by Order-in-Council.

There may have been times since this Government came to power when there was justification for the claim that the Opposition, in some of its criticisms was “pushing the political barrow”, but on this occasion, most people who regard freedom as an important plank in the structure of democracy will be ready to congratulate Mr Holland and his colleagues on the fight they have put up against measures that are an astounding imposition on a democratic community in peacetime. It is to be regretted that their efforts achieved only partial success. But the Government has agreed to refer the future of emergency regulations to a committee of the House during the recess, and both the Supply Regulations Bill and the Emergency Regulations Continuance Bill (which means just what its title implies) were passed by the Opposition on the understanding that they would be reviewed after a year. Mr Fraser did say in the course of the debate, that, if the Labour Government wanted to put through any proposal it would not do it under the shelter of regulations but openly in legislation before the House.

The public will possibly derive some comfort from that assurance, but there is justification for uneasiness in the mere fact that the Government should be seeking these dictatorial powers. If one has no intention of keeping a dog within- a chain’s length of his kennel, why chain him up?

If a Government has no intention of establishing a dictatorship, why give itself a dictatorship’s powers? It will be admitted in many quarters that there was justification in a state of war emergency for the measures that have now developed into a first-class bone of contention. Thousands of free men allowed themselves to be conscripted at fhat time and shipped overseas, because they believed it was necessary. What would be their reaction if the same thing were done today when there is no necessity for it, when the world is officially at peace? Could the Government produce evidence of the same degree of justification for the present legislation, it is safe to guess that it would be accorded the same support, but there are probably not many who believe that justification exists now.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/BPB19471128.2.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 2, 28 November 1947, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
499

BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Tuesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, NOV. 28, 1947 DEMOCRACY, OR—? Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 2, 28 November 1947, Page 4

BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Tuesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, NOV. 28, 1947 DEMOCRACY, OR—? Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 2, 28 November 1947, Page 4

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