Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1940. MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1940, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1940. MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

PARSING once again the question of the desirability of the earliest possible meeting of Parliament, Hie lj Q (lel ' " "‘J Opposition (Mr Hamilton) has rested his ease lor the inon n on. the example set in the Mother Country On. ds me. ts ; example ought to carry considerable weight here and m ><•( Dominions. Insisting upon remaining in session dining c < months of war, the British lYrliament has maintained . exercised its constitutional privileges ol stimulating o thi dun the Executive as occasion may demand. Hie resu s,as < as thev can meantime be measured, appear to la > excellent and there is not much doubt that the niterests ol I < nation are better safeguarded than ii the conduct of the . had been left to what some people would call the unhampei . discretion of the Government of the dny It has now been announced by the Prime Minister (Mi Fraser) that Parliament is to meet early in .lune, or befoie that time should anv serious situation, develop. 'Hie announcement no doubt will be welcomed, although in existing circumstances an. earlier date than that now indicated might reason ably have been selected. No toleration should be extended to the idea that it is necessary in times like these lor the Government of a democracy to become a dictatorship, shaping and giving effect to its policy largely in secrecy. Ihe actual position is that in these critical days the responsibilities o Parliament are. enlarged and broadened and that it is bound as a matter of duty to insist upon playing a full part m the conduct and control of national affairs. It goes without saying that the first and ruling eonsideiation should be to concentrate upon an. effective war effort and that party politics and all minor contention should be set aside. On. Hie other hand, precisely because the times are supremely critical and because heavy burdens must be imposed and demands made on the people, it is more than ever essential, that the fullest opportunity should be afforded for Hie consideration on their merits of policy measures and proposals and for the exercise of democratic rights, of criticism and opposition. There are questions, amongst others, of financial and economic adjustment —questions with a vital bearing not only on the prosecution of the war but on the conditions and problems that will arise after the war —which most certainly should be brought, before Parliament without delay for frank and open- discussion. Assuming that its essential aim is to ensure the most effective use that is possible of national resources, now and later, the Government should perceive in. an early assembling of Parliament, the best means open to it of strengthening its position and gaining the united support it needs. Our present Government, like the United Kingdom Government, is offered freely and wholeheartedly by the Opposition, general support in the proseent ion of the war. The right is reserved to criticise, and to support or oppose measures on their merits, but it has been made fully clear that the National Party is in full sympathy with the Government’s war policy as that has been'defined broadly. Of late the position has been, complicated by the development of some divisions with the Government’s own party, but the disturbing effect of sectional movements and agitations is magnified with Parliament in recess. With Parliament in session and dealing with such national responsibilities as now demand attention, these factors of disturbance would be reduced to their true proportions. It may be found desirable here, as it has been in Britain, to meet the working convenience of Ministers by reducing the number of sitting days per week. There are limits, however, to the extent to which Ministers should be allowed to do their work behind the scenes. In war or in peace, New Zealand is a democracy and its Parliament has every right to control executive policy or decisions when it perceives reason and necessity for doing so. .Moreover, a Ministry doing its work efficiently is quickened and energised, and in no way hampered, by the necessity of meeting fair and open criticism in Parliament. There assuredly will be no lack of support in the New Zealand Parliament for a thoroughly purposeful war effort, but it may be expected that there will be resolute opposition to any weakening of that effort and that there will be also criticism capable of serving a valuable purpose in ensuring the correction of shortcomings and errors in detail.