itially had little faith in the stability

of the Kenilorea government and had been predicting to Canberra that a political “come-back” by former Chief Minister Mamaloni was most likely.

Whilst the British and the Australians battle it out for in fluence, an issue that should be resolved by the ever-increasing flow of Australian dollars in aid to the Pacific, the Solomons’ legislature has a problem with its electorate.

Some members of the legislature have been doing their best to dis credit themselves. One member, when picked up in Honiara by the police for drunkenness, claimed that he could not be detained on the grounds of parliamentary privilege.

The police and the public were not impressed.

But an even greater row has broken out over the announcement that all the members of the assembly want to fly to the Constitutional Conference. British Government reaction to this varied from astonishment to laughter to fear that the conference would become un

wieldly.

Mr Kinika, the Solomons’

Finance Minister, pointed out that the cost was unlikely to be less than Asloo 000 and that it would have to be met from the public purse.

This resulted in protest meetings in Honiara and Auki. The Auki meeting suggested that all the mem bers wanting to go to the Conference “indicated distrust or that they just wanted to travel”.

There has been a rumour going around Honiara that is being told as a joke. The tale goes that the mem bers of the assembly going to the conference will be 10 the rest will take their trip somewhere else! This story reflects the loss of prestige that the legislature has suffered over this issue.

The proposed trip comes at a time when members of the assembly have had just voted themselves an in crease in salary from A 54296 to A 56600.

• The first Monday in October will be observed as a public holi day in the Solomon Islands. The holiday will commemorate the achievement of the ministerial system of government in 1974.