ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 668, 19 November 1909, Page 3

ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE BILL.

' Sir,—lt : is noti surprising that-Sir Josepli "Ward should' now oppose the Elective Executive Bill, which cams before the House again on November 5. With ail the sweets.of office and ■ power"under tho present/ system* of .'party Government',' and in promoting political, outcasts to the Upper House, in his present stato of .mind- lio; could sco. nothing wrong, under prevailing conditions. The '• fact that . the people can bring about-a change of: Ministry only by returning at a ! general .election: a majority opposed, to the present .Government is sufficientto prove < that, it ..is bad.; Under this arrangement-the Ministry..is .placed in a superior position .in the - government of. the country, Co Parliament .itself, 'for: Parliament' must act in accord with the' wishes of the Ministry,. except at the peril of : dissolution, bec-auso such Governments are supposed to. 'have a party' principle in, their policy. Sir Joseph- pointed' out to members tliat the elective system ot Government would not result-in the best-talents being elected, on. account of special "popularity amongst', the members.: I. consider:this as a reflection on the people's representatives. Mr. r - T. E. Taylor struck tho right IjeynoK Ho said it denied the efficiency of democracy. Further, it impeached the judgment of the whole of the members.. Sir Joseph pointed.out: suppose Mr.' Ell and Mr. Buchanan were elected under the present system, and..if, for instance, tho graduated tax was under consideration. , Buchanan would jump across the and de~mand that Mr. Ell should'bß ejected if lio' did,not agree to his' .view's'.' Sir Joseph did riot' mention that the reverse would lie the-result, under tho elective- system, when : Ministry would become. respoiKiblu - only -to: Parliament- itself, for the adminis-trations of their respective Departments, and, further, they would ; liavo it in their , power to elect the .Promier "from amongst, themselves,' so tho possibilities of strained relations would .bo less than under this.one-man party.vsystemv :The Prime Minister said, supposing one ; or two 'of ,the :. Ministry - resigned , during the re? cess, -.- the .members, could hot --appoint their - successors,until Parliament reassembled, Well,' what.is .wrong?. Would not.suet a contingency become less frequent, under.\She

election VeSccutive? Yet, : uador\present aw " holdas many port- ' " fohtts as thoi Primo_ Minister desires to appoint. Sir Joseph'said that he never hoard it urged that tho Ministers should he elected from the dominant party in tho House, yet nineteen years ago,' himsolf Hon. 1 Mr.-Ward, ' was in favour <of< the new Elective Bill, as 1 ■; pointed out in the House by Mr. J. C.'Thorn* v : son. . A Government without; a policy is tolcp/' ; able only when elected to administer tho laws decreed by (Parliament, the fact' that Parlia. ' mcnt being domin&tcd/by the Ministry, and •" tho Ministry in its turn being dominated by : v one man, brings; our would-bo democratic* Gov. : • ■ ernment dangerously near. a despotism. About.;■■■ thirty years ago, niany popular Bills, sncli M as tho Initiative'and Referendum Abolition ;»■■■ of tho . Upper -House, -the• Elective Executive tho /Universal Ratiug .of the , Ummproveo < J Value, the. Abolition of Barmaids,; and thf Abolition of, Tied Houses, were ithen promin* : ently .before tho country and utilisod by wcll< known members as thoir iHatforms at general . eloctions, some of. theso members aro now on the alert to - secure- a portfolio i;v the Cabinet/. These Bills havo long/ ago been; slaughterec with- tho .innocents,, in. this much. democratic country; Thoy were Bills of. popiilar principle, which ,would : not-at all . lrnvd com-! • mitted tho country to any expenses, 'but tlii».'.; reverse would have, been, tho result. vTOieiv-V; the people attain to their rights-i>{. w the- initii* !'.>> tive and referendum, , short 'shrift;" would bo'.'.'Vi-J., made of the drones in . the Upper House,! but; instead of popular. Billst tho- powers - that bo,' 0 .;;!; have 1 thrown' at.'the 'people a bone' of tion in the -shape' of \ tho-Licensing Billi ".t®f; Jf hark at as food for a general electionfanatical, people, .are" finding their way intdv ■ politics. lam ■ quite conscious that Bills sncH;. ; as I have. outlined aro -hopeless. of att«aiii«ehtv4}J from our prevailing legislature, and. 1. recoa j 1 nise that the people must first wako up, / brush the cobwebs away from . their ■. and. rise to the occasion in demanding th« - ' initiative and referendum, ere any popnlai Bills will be. passed, including that o£: th«\ Elective Executive.—l -am, etc., ■ CHRTSTOPHER- M. HANSEN, ' 51, Boulcott Street, Wellington,'; f