New Zealand Gazette – 1915 – No. 78

Page 2169

Page 2170 →

✨ Parliamentary Opening Speech

Aumb. 78. 2169

THE

NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

EXTRAORDINARY.

Published by Authority.

WELLINGTON, FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1915.

THE First Session of the Nineteenth Parliament of New Zealand was this day opened by the Governor, when His Excellency was pleased to make the following

S P E E C H.

HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,—

It is with pleasure that I meet you in Parliament assembled.

During the session of 1914 Parliament was suddenly called upon to pass enactments of an exceptional nature to provide for circumstances which immediately arose or were anticipated consequent upon the outbreak of war. I am able to inform you that most of such legislation has been proved by experience to be efficient, and has enabled my Government to meet and deal with the emergencies which have arisen up to the present. But in some respects it has been found that this special legislation requires amendment and extension, and measures will be submitted to you with that object.

The preparation and consideration of the legislation to which I have referred formed but a small part of the novel and urgent duties which the existence of a state of war cast upon myself and my Ministers. The administration of the ordinary and regular business and affairs of the Dominion of New Zealand has been attended to with care, but my Ministers felt that their duty and obligation to the Empire had become the paramount consideration, and that the Parliament of New Zealand would recognize that the Imperial functions which in time of war devolve upon the Governments of the various Dependencies of the Crown must claim their first and most urgent attention. As the representative of the Sovereign, my time and that of my personal staff has been largely occupied in communication constantly necessary between the Imperial Government and that of the Dominion; and many duties not ordinarily incident to the work of the Governor of a self-governing Dominion have fallen to be performed by myself. Each of my Ministers has been called upon to undertake duties foreign to the Departments which he ordinarily controls. The officials of the Public Service, and especially the Heads of Departments and the Public Service Commissioners, have also been required to undertake much arduous and difficult work, of the nature of which there has been no previous experience in New Zealand. My Ministers desire to acknowledge the loyal and public-spirited support which has been given by all the servants of the Crown.

The work of the military authorities and of the Department of Defence has been the most strenuous and difficult, as it has been the most important. My Ministers feel that a special debt of gratitude is due from the Dominion to all those officers and non-commissioned officers of the Imperial and of the New Zealand Services who have yielded to their request to remain in New Zealand to guide and direct the training of our recruits. Only through their constant and diligent care has it been possible

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