The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY,DECEMBER 2, 1887. PARTY GOVERNMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1676, 22 December 1887, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY,DECEMBER 2, 1887. PARTY GOVERNMENT.

Major Steward, M.H.B. for Waimate, has for some time past been moving in the direction of doing away with Party Government. , His efforts have been successful so far as that he has got together-several members of Parliament who have signified their intention of supporting the movement. Major Steward’s proposal is to th® effect that upon the first assembling of Parliament.after egch general election, so soon as the House shall have elected the Speaker, it shall proceed to choose six members of the Executive Government in the manner' following Nominations of candidates shall be handed into Mr Speaker on the day following, that on which he is himself elected, and shall he signed by 20 nominators in each case, and by the candidate nominated, all of whom must be members of the House of Representatives; one list ofmemders nominated shall appear on the special Order Paper, to he issued immediately upon the close of the nominations, and Mr Speaker shall appoint a time (not being less than 24 or more more than -48 hours after the issiie of such list of nominations) for the. taking of a ballot for the election of six members of the Executive. The six candidates Having the‘highest number of votes shall be., declared elected and .shall enter upon.office, forthwith, provided upon the result of the ballot being, declared any member’ elected may decline to serve, and thereupon a ballot shall he taken to fill the vacancy; the six .members elected shall choose two colleagues from among the members of the Legislative Council, or if they shall he unable to do so, may advise His Excellency to call to the said Council one or two persons, as the case - may he, to 1 be members with them of the Executive Council. The eight members, of the Executive so elected or chosen shall appoint one of their own number, who is a-member of the House of Representatives to he Premier, and shall allocate the portfolios of' the several departments among any, seven of their .number as they shall • think fit; such 1 Executive Council, and' the' several memhersthereof, shall continue in office uh6l the assembling of new Parliament, aid thereafter until the election of their successors. We have always held that Party Government was the ruin of New Zealand, and iousequently we hail with satisfaction, any scheme .ivhich gives us a hope of sieing /it Abolished. It. is simply monstrous that a member must vote against his own convictions, and the Convictions of his constituents, because to do otherwise would result in ousting Government from office. Por instance, about a week ago the majority of members voted for the Representation Bill not coming into force for the next two years. The Government threatened. to. resign unless th,®. resolution was»reversed, and next da j these members had to swallow their own opinions and adopt those of the Government, Besides such occur* rences as this, it frequently happens that politicians sell their principles and their constituents in order to get into office. The evils of Party Governmenfe .are incalculable; no man can h© honest under the system; it is useJfas for a man to h m j opinions orS politics, for as soon as h© | enters Parliament; ho will find it > necessary to change then! » s t> be in accord with his party. VVe | are convinced that no system could

be worse, especially in a country like this, where so few are ready to make sacrifices for their party. On this ground we welcome the new scheme, although we are afraid that, it, too, will have its drawbacks. If put in force, it is doubtful whether the actions of Government would be watched so carefully as they are at present. However, nothing could *be worse than the present system; nothing could he more inimical.,,to the public interest, and if Parliament succeeds in adopting some scheme that will abolish Party Government it will have done a real service to the country. , , , ; ',, , .