BRISK POLITICS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 87, 7 January 1935, Page 6

BRISK POLITICS

Outlook For Election Year TWO SESSIONS AHEAD Preparation of Vital Measures (By Recobder.) There is a prospect of brisk politics tliis year witli a general election some time in December. Such, at any rate, is the outlook of several administrators aud those whose prophecies are rather more than speculative gossip. The adjourned session of Parliament will be resumed about the middle of next month, and it is anticipated that the remainder of the sessional legislative programme should be completed without difficulty or any form of “dragooning" the House in six weeks at the longest. It is unlikely That there will be moj'e than half-a-dozen policy Bills, including important measures dealing with mortgages and national finance. The end of March is tentatively pencilled as the closing date of the broken session.. If this should be accomplished, as Ministers hope, the achievement would enable the Ministerial delegation to London during May to attend the ceremonies commemorating the Silver Jubilee of the King’s Accession, with the knowledge that the Government in New Zealand would be free of political embarrassment. It is too early as yet to discuss the personnel of the Dominion’s delegation, and to mention the names in the forefront of conjecture would be akin to shooting in the dark. No Talk of Early Election After the close of the Parliamentary session in early autumn, what is likely to happen? The question already is arousing interest among politicians and their camp-followers. None but Cabinet Ministers may give an emphatic answer, but it can be said emphatically enough that there is no talk now about a “snap” election in midwinter with an abrupt break-up of the Coalition Government. On the contrary, discussion is confined to the probable date of the opening of the final pre-election session of the present Parliament. Among Ministers themselves •it is thought that, following on the autumn session and in view of all the circumstances, the last session should begin toward the enfl of July, thus affording the Governmen't ample time to prepare legislation. There then would be no excuse for marking time when the House assembled ostensibly for business, and incidentally no reason for maintaining tlie traditional pretence of having' everything ready if there were only a clear opportunity to begin I

Conditions suggest that administrators are planning to carry out a programme on the' lines indicated. Departments will be instructed at the close of Die current financial year to speed up the preparation of budgetary returns and estimates, so that the House at the outset of the winter session may get quickly to vital work. It is realised, of course, that whatever the legislative programme may be, the shadow of the polling-booths will be across the session and inspire a bounteous measure of electioneering talk. Scope for Reform. It is interesting to have Ministerial assurance that the visits of Ministers aud other Parliamentarians to other lands, and the occasional calls overseas legislators have made at the New Zealand Parliament have convinced administrators in this Dominion that there is scope for reform here, particularly in the direction of investing the Legislature with more efficient business methods. Recently, an English politician was astounded during a visit’ to the New Zealand Parliament while in session, to learn that not even Ministers knew when the final adjournment for the year would be taken. He found difficulty in believing that the end of sessional talk was subject to the caprice of the talkers. He also was surprised to discover that Parliament frequently discussed and dealt with important legislative business long before it knew tlie contents of the national Budget, and all the financial proposals of the Government. The British system is very different, notwithstanding the fact that the financial statement is almost twenty times greater than the Dominion's. As a result of experience in other countries, New Zealand administrators are giving consideration to the question of accelerating the preparation of essential statements. Within a week or two the Administration will be in normal activity witii all the Ministers, after an easy spell in tlie country among old friends, “rejuvenated like the eagles.” In ail probability they will require more .vigour than ever to meet pre-election criticism and demands for national progress in many directions.