WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1932, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

LIFE OF PARLIAMENT.

GOVERNMENT STILL HESITATES.

(Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, April 4

Shortly after the general election j of four months ago the Prime Alinis- ' ter let it be known that he and his i colleagues were considering a proposal | for the extension of the life of the I new Parliament from tne prescribed three years to the 1119 re convenient four years, and, at intervals 'since then, inquiries have been made concerning the intentions of the Govern™ meat Li this respect. Ho far neither Mr Forbes nor any of his colleagues has made any definite statement; on the subject; but an enterprising newsgatherer puts forward the argument that the Government cannot be expected to complete its plans for the fume at short notice. “An extension of the life of Parliament,” this authority avers, as if inspired, “will be made permanent, and it is extremely likely that a move in this direction will be m a( le before the end ot the emergency session.” This at least suggests that the Government still is contemplating an extension of its own activities.

THE WAR PRECEDENT. The only precedents in this country of the extension of the life of Parliament beyond the statutory period are those of* 1917 and 1918—each for a period of one session— during the piogess of the Great War, when the Reform Party and the Liberal-Labour Party coalesced under the title of “National”. The Reform Party “was in office when the war broke out in August 1914, having ousted the Liberal Party two years before, and the party offered to forego a general election’ in the following December in order that the two parties might work harmoniously together in the interests of the Empire. The Reform Party, however, preferred to go to the polls in the accustomed, way, anticipating a substantial addition to its numbers, hut as the contest turned out the voting was so close that a qoalition for the will' period became inevitable. At the conclusion of the war the National Cabinet, which had endured from August 12, 1915, to August 25. 1919, was disolved and the Reform Cabinet resuscitated.

NOW AND THEN. It will be seen that there would be no analogy beween the prolongation of the term of the House of Repiesentatives elected four months ago and the prolongation of its term m 1917 and again in 1918. r lhe prolongaion of the term of the present House, according to our quoted authority, “is likely to he made permanent” and “before' the end of the emergency session.” The prolongation in 191/ and 1918 were made towards the close of these sessions and without any idea of extending permanently the life of Parliament to four or five or any other measure of years. The excuse offered for the extension of the life of the present Parliament to four years is the assumption that the Government and its followers will requiie all that time to place the country’s affairs in order; but, apart irom the hope that by the end of 1934 the difficulties of to-day wi'l he overcome, the’ e is the general desire of the electors to keep in touch with their representatives.

A RUSH PARLIAMENT. It will be no reflection upon the members of the present House of Representatives as a body to say tha many of them were rushed into Parliament rather by the admirable organisation of their party—whichever it may have been—than by outstanding claims of their own. The compact between the United Party and the Reform Party, culminating in the Coalition Party,’ plunged many constituencies into confusion. United Coalitionists voting for Reform under directions and Hel'orm Coalitionists voting for United under similar conditions Tim purpose of the coalition was to secure a. party strong enough to deal with grave difficulties besetting the Dominion. Labour having declined to come into the compact, and at the moment perhaps votes were accounted of more consequence than men. In these circumstances it surely is l,l>vious that the present Parliament should not think of prolonging its tenure of office beyond its allotted span The examples of Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward in this respect should Ik.' sufficient for their successors.