The Gisborne Herald. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES.” TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1939. A SPECIAL SESSION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20129, 26 December 1939, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES.” TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1939. A SPECIAL SESSION

With the return of Mr. Fraser from : his important mission to the United Kingdom the Government will be called upon to consider the advisability 01 j necessity of summoning Parliament ! for a special session. Although the ; Prime Minister has indicated that a i request for this step will receive ati tenlion there is a feeling that what | Mr. Lee refers to as the “autocratic” | Cabinet will not face Parliament un- \ less it is necessary for the purpose of I enacting legislation. In one way, little could be gained by calling members together since it has already been made apparent that the present Government pays no heed to the people’s elected representatives but prefers the obnoxious system of caucus rule. Now, however, doubts have arisen as to whether even caucus is not disregarded and if it were possible that the split in the ranks of the Labour | Party could manifest itself in Parliajment, and thus permit of a true expression of opinion, then the summoning of the House would clear the air I and would be really worth while. I There is no question that there is a jgreat deal of anxiety throughout the \ country as the seeming half-hearted-j ness of the Government’s war effort, j and the disclosure that this anxiety is : shared’even in the ranks of the Par- ' liamentary members of the Labour Party provides an added reason for a i full and frank discussion.

The position in New Zealand differs from that in other Empire countries where, so far as war measures are concerned, there is the closest collaboration between the various parties. In Britain, for instance, the Labour

Party, at the request of the Govern-

ment, has appointed liaison officers to I) maintain contact with the various war S departments, but Mr. Hamilton has reI vealed that in New Zealand the OpJ position has no access to the councils

i of the Government in the war effort. 1 This attitude of aloofness on the part j of the Government is inexcusable, for j in the war feffort there should be complete co-operation by all parties. Now, it would seem, even the Labour Party caucus has largely been ignored by the Government. This is more excusable, perhaps, because in war-time ! there is little room for the caucus, I which is essentially a party political ( institution. But if the Cabinet is going to ignore everybody, to maintain - its autocratic sway, what hope is there of New Zealand making its maximum contribution towards the war effort? Already there is widespread discontent and this will never ( be allayed unless the Government maintains closer contact with public opinion and makes provision for the free ventilation of the many grievances which are apparent. The question is whether a meeting of Parliament would have this result.

In the past, Parliament has merely been a rubber stamp for the Cabinet, or the caucus. Members of the Labour Party have never been free to vote according to their individual opinions or consciences and, despite the serious rift in the ranks at present, it is doubtful whether the position will be changed in the future. In those cirsumstances, the real opinion of the public is not reflected in the House. The position may be understood by considering the possibility of a vote on the issue of conscription, which the Government may be forced to recommend in order to keep its pledge to the Mother Country. The Labour Party has 53 members in the House, but three of these are on active service and it is unlikely that Mr. Savage will be able to take part in discussions in the near future. This means that 25 members would comprise a majority of the caucus and if the caucus ruling were obeyed 25 members could dictate to a House of 80. In other words, there would clearly be minority rule, as so often has been the case since the present Government came into office. On the

face of it, the revolt in the Labour ranks is a serious matter for the party, but when it comes to a real test it is not likely.that either faction will be prepared to flout the rigid party discipline. That being the case, the expense of summoning Parliament might just as well be avoided and if the Cabinet has not the courage of its convictions it will have to accept dictation from the caucus. That such a situation should have developed is, more than anything else, an indictment of the party system as it has been operated under the present regime. The whole principle of democratic government has been gravely undermined and until it is restored Parliament has no real function to fulfil. Were it not for this aspect of the situation, much could be said in favour of a special session of Parliament. Mr. Fraser while overseas will have accumulated a vast amount of information regarding the war measures of Britain and the other Dominions and it is eminently desirable that this should be made available, not only to the Cabinet, but also to Parliament and, through Parliament, to the people. If this were done, if the public were made fully aware of the facts and if members of Parliament were permitted a free vote, then, but not till then, it would be possible to secure solid and united support in the war effort to which the Dominion is committed. It is possible to feel sympathy for the Cabinet in the serious difficulties which confront it, for it is largely a victim of the pernicious system of which it is part, but it would be deserving of more sympathy, and even of commendation, if it would discard the shibboleths by which it is restrained and. instead of trying to maintain its present dictatorship, restore real democratic government to the Dominion.