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Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 20. August 27 1979

Books — Unbridled Power?

page 12

Books

Unbridled Power?

Geoffrey Palmer: Unbridled Power? An Interpretation of New Zealand's Constitution and Government.

OUP, July 24, 1979

What needs to be done to make New Zealand democratic? Geoffrey Palmer, in his book, argues for a long list of specific reforms, none of them especially startling or sweeping, many of them not even requiring legislation. The central concern of Unbridled Power? is reform of Parliament. All bills (except money bills) should be referred to stronger and better-advised select committees. The number of MPs should be increased by half and some should be elected by proportional represenation. Parliament should sit more often throughout the year. Copies of bills should be widely available to the public. The aim is to make the executive more accountable to Parliament.

But the book ranges far wider than Parliament itself. Most of the other important national government institutions (Crown, Cabinet, Minister and the Public Service) are examinied in the first six chapters and detailed reforms are urged. The rest of the book deals with issues: how statute law can be made better, simpler and more accessible; how regulations can be curbed; whether a second house of Parliament is necessary; how to reform electoral law; whether a proper constitution ought to be adopted how; and how access to government information ought to be ensured.

The book, as this list shows, is directed towards specific reform of fairly specific problems. That they are at present regarded as problems is the "permanent contribution of the first Muldoon administration to the history of New Zealand." For the last twenty-five years the latent power of the Government has not been so clearly seen as it is now — precisely because it has stopped being quite to latent. Since the book was completed (December 1978) political events, culminating in the "fiscal regulator" row, have vindicated its arguments. Even, perhaps, to the extent of winning parliamentary nomination for the author. "Constitutionalism" has become a live political issue. This political fact has made Unbridled Power? a more useful book, but less immediate in its impact.

It Is more useful because clear argument and specific proposals which are not too difficult to achive make this book a valuable campaigning tool. It reads at times, like a Royal Commission report; it even has a summary of all reforms at the end. This is good for campaigners; not too many of the proposals interlock, so one can pick up a specific proposal and then find suitable arguments in the text, with even a hope of political success if you batter away for long enough. One slight awkwardness comes from this. Palmer must first describe, then criticise, then recommend. Since the description begins simply (as it must), and since the reforms are described in detail, each section of the book changes gear quite markedly: from civics to sophistication in a short space. A campaigner cannot, as may a scholar, take knowledge for granted.

Political events have made this book's impact less than it might have been because its tone does not now quite suit the increasingly polemical atmosphere. There are a few ritual abusive references to R. D. Muldoon, but this is essentially a book for the uncommitted and aims for wide appeal. Someone seeking a clarion call will be disappointed; someone who has already heard that call, and wants to know what to do, will not be.

Don Wright