Another Minister?
p. 11 · Read in the full issue
Vicious Canberra System
THE sudden death of the Prime Mini ster of Australia (Mr. Lyons) on April 7 will be followed before the end of April by a re-arrangement ot Ministerial portfolios, and it is very likely that out of this there will come another Minister in charge of the Pacific Territories. Mr. Harrison is a man of ability, and probably will receive full Ministerial rank. The charge of Pacific Territories is generally given to an As sistant Minister.
If this should happen, the Australian Pacific Territories should make a strong protest.
Under the present system the nominal administrators have very little power— everything is centred in the hands of permanent officials in Canberra, and the Minister who happens to be in charge.
If he is a business-like Minister, with an orderly mind, one may expect continuity in policy and consistency in execution; but where the Ministers are being con stantly changed, according to the exi gencies of politics, and when, as fre quently happens, we are given ministers who are famous talkers but poor exe cutives, the affairs of the territories suffer very seriously.