POLITICAL INEPTITUDE.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 52, 23 October 1931, Page 2

POLITICAL INEPTITUDE.

During the past few days the Press representatives at Parliament House have reported persistent \rumours of the formation of a new political party from amongst the moderate elements in Parliament. The purpose of the new party is said to he to oppose the present coalition, Government, but the identity of those behind the movement remains shrouded in| mystery, those most likely to be interested flatly denying any connection with it. As is inevitable in such circumstances, all sorts of wild ■stories about the new party, its personnel, policy and purpose have gained circulation. One newspaper even described it as a move by city men, presumably as a counter to the farmer representation in the present Cabinet and Parliament. Our own i Parliamentary Commissioner took the soundest view of the position, we believe, in sounding the note of warning he did in his message published yesterday. To date we can see no reason to take the proposed "Peoples' Party" seriously. It will be time enough when something is known about the men behind the movement. That such a movement should be even mooted at present, however, indicates that there is a growing dissatisfaction with the way in which the country is being governed. Indeed, we have often commented upon the need for new blood in Dominion politics. The dilly dallying methods of the present Ministry daiiy make this need more apparent. Mr, Forbes has already beseeched the country not to remember the past, but unfortunately we have not Mr. Forbes's aptitude for forgetting unpleasant things and we have a lively recollection of the Prime Minister castigating the Labour "Party a session or two back for wasting time. He then gave force to the point by showing that every day Parliament is in session costs the country £100. The Labour Party had no right to waste money at this rate, but lieither has Mr. Forbes or his colleagues any mandate I to indulge in the same reprehensible practice. As far as we can see, the past and present Ministries — though we may be forgiven for being uncertain as to where one begins and the other leaves off — have been doing nothing else for the past seventeen weeks. A simple calculation shows that seventeen weeks or 85 days at £100 per day totals £8,500. This is enough money to provide 14,166 men with a day's work at 12/- a day. Had it been used for this purpose there is no doubt but that the country would have been better off than it is as a result of the seventeen weeks of political talk, kite-flying, intrigue and ineptitude. The fact of the matter is that there are too many political die-hards in the House and altogether too many in the Ministry. The Dominion's politicians, like some of its civil servants, are not gaining the high places through ability, butsimply through length of service and blind following of Party interest. New vision and higher ideals are the need of the moment, but to get these into the present House would defy the surgical skill of a political Dr. Voronof.