ideftite
J
7.
Spa 22 203 RET
Page 22
There are undeniable disadvantages in the presen
connection. Politically it is embarrassing for HMG to
be answerable to Parliament for the internal policies
of a Colonial Government which inevitably must act to a
large extent without reference to London in a cultural,
racial and economic environment very different from our
own. There are constitutional powers for Parliament
to legislate for the Colony; but equally there are
practical and political limitations to these powers and
no Government has since the war exercised them. Influence
on the Colony's internal policies is exercised indirectly
through the Governor; but even his powers are in practice
limited by the need to consult the Executive Council and
to legislate with the advice and consent of the Legislative
Council, and ultimately (and far more importantly) by the
necessity of avoiding action for which the consent of
the population does not exist. There is the additional
complication that there is an unofficial majority on
the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council. Powers
exist to override the Councils but in practice these
have not been exercised for many years.
There is also
bound to be occasional friction with a Colony with sub-
stantial interests of its own not necessarily compatible
and with those of HMG. Recent/current examples of such
friction all of which have been manageable
M
are the
Defence Costs negotiations, the problems over textiles
and the question of the death penalty.
Page 22
Page 22
the outstanding issue of citizenship:
There is also Page 22 of 203
if HMG as is