NOTE OF OPTIMISM?

Taupo Times, Volume 19, Issue 98, 17 December 1970, Page 6

NOTE OF OPTIMISM?

When our Minister of Overseas Trade, Mr Marshall, spoke of having won the "first round" of negotiations on Hritain's entry into the Comtmon Market, he was i>erhaps guilty of over - simplification and perhaps optimism. This one will go 15 rounds at least before the verdict is taken — and the most New Zealand can claim optimism for is the fact that after the early exchanges we are still in the contest. Behind the scenes, I understand, the feeling is better. The British negotiators mean what they say — but after all, they are still the supplicants. Demanding Session With the front and side torn out of Parliament Buildings, a gaping hole (the beginning of an underground car-park) in the forecourt, and a steady procession of Ministers and others in and out of hospital, it would !

seem that Parliament for 1970 ended just in time. Two Ministers have gained status and stature on the deal. The new and diffident Associate Minister of Finance, Mr Pickering, has taken a tremendous battering, and keeps coming up for more. Successively he has been Minister of Finance, Electricity, Works, and Labour, and is still actingMinister of Works. The Minister of Defence and Police, Mr Thomson is still assisting the Prime Minister, and has Justice and the positions of Associate Minister of Labour. Battlefleld promotions sometimes stick! New Ministers? Now the party pressure is on, I think it unlikely that the Prime Minister, Sir Keith Holyoake, will step down in the early New Year, Mr Riddiford's condition may lead to a withdrawal, and Mr Allen's illness has been a long and wearing one. Mr Shelton, the oldest of the incapacitated Ministers, is also the toughest — but in any case his time in Government is limited. Therefore there is terrific pressure to rebuild Cabinet before the next session begins, early enough to have the new Ministers "run in" with their departments before the 1971 session starts.

Due for an upgrading in ■ the present team are Messrs 1 Maclntyre, Talboys and Pickering. T ] Belated Chance Sickness has put so much pressure on that no possi- { bility may be discounted. Sir , Leslie Munro has the train- , ing and background to take , the Justice portfolio. In fact, some believe he should have , had it before Mr Riddiford. His appointment to a Cabinet post would also close a , widening gap in the Govern- ( ment party ranks. There would be little difficulty in Mr G. Gair, the present Under-Secretary, taking over Education. A dozen back-benchers are eligible for appointment either to Cabinet rank or to vacated Under - Secretaryships. Of these, those who have the best chance would be Messrs F. S. F. Holland, L. W. Gandar and D. A. Highet. ... Time For Change? The end of a session is the best time to get members' views on sessional troubles— and the new members are the best sources. Mr T. M. McGuigan (Labour — Lyttelton), as one of the hardest-working of the new boys, is a bit scornful about the way the session was run. He wants a closer

application of business methods, a cutting away of outmoded practices. And he believes there should be 100 members rather than 84. Why? Simply because too many members last session were on two or more Select Committees which met at the same time. Therefore it was impossible for them to lo their work properly, and the committees they were on were out of balance. A good point. It was surprising to me to learn there was no co-ordination among committees.