Editorial: Keeping Cabinet outsiders in check

National's leadership has clearly had another about-face experience. In 2005, then deputy leader Gerry Brownlee strongly criticised Prime Minister Helen Clark for allowing the leaders of two support parties, NZ First and UnitedFuture, to be ministers outside Cabinet, The Dominion Post writes.

Three years later, the new leadership has swallowed one more dead rat and decided the idea has merit after all.

Now, it seems at least ACT leader Rodney Hide and UnitedFuture's Peter Dunne will be encouraged to follow the Peters example because leader John Key admits his initial opposition to having ministers outside Cabinet was wrong. "It's a safety valve that allows them to criticise the Government in areas other than their own portfolios," Mr Key said this week.

Cabinet is an intriguing construct. The 2008 Cabinet Manual points out that it is not a creature of statute, that consensus decision-making is usual and votes are rare.

Underpinning its operations is "collective responsibility" - in essence, the convention that all Cabinet ministers will, once a decision is made, speak with one voice, even if they personally opposed that decision earlier.

Ministers outside Cabinet have more latitude, as Mr Key implies. They are bound by "collective responsibility" only in relation to their portfolio.

Though the arrangement might be unusual constitutionally, Mr Key's willingness to indulge the party to his right and the Lone Ranger to his left is smart. But smarter is his willingness to forge a relationship with the Maori Party. If he can count on its five votes or persuade its MPs to abstain on confidence and supply motions, as the Greens did for the outgoing Labour-led Government, by giving them a portfolio or two, he has insurance should ACT overplay its limited hand. Displaying strategic nous, he plainly wants to broaden National's voter support base and to win the 2011 election, too.

But Mr Brownlee had a point when he was concerned in 2005 by Cabinet outriders Winston Peters and Mr Dunne. Though the Cabinet Manual sets down only guidelines, Cabinet-led government is central to the way this democracy works.

As well as advantages, ministers outside Cabinet have drawbacks, too - unless, of course, Mr Key plans to keep them on a short leash. The strength of Cabinet-led government is joint decision-making after ministers have heard others' views, seen where their portfolios might dovetail with other initiatives and, collectively, agreed on a single position.

If too many ministers camp outside the tent, the risk rises of some forging individual paths, with all the messy political management that attends that.

Labour was splendid at managing and shuffling the coalition pack. No one in National, bar the leadership, has shown any inclination to keep any but their own people happy.

Mr Key's instincts, including his pragmatism, are good, but he is still a political tyro. He will need to manage his ministry with extreme care if Mr Hide, especially, is not to disrupt the unified administration he wants to lead and present to the country - now and in the future.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Hang On There   #3   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Not sure you have the comparisons quite right. I am under the impression we are about to see a GOVERNMENT COALITION of National, ACT, United and Maori, which is very different from the strange arrangement with Winston Peters a key minister from outside of Government. Brownlee's criticism was, I thought, of that unusual arrangement, which also confused the Aussies, as I recall.

Mike   #2   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

The Maori Party can make Sir Roger irrelevant & he can spout all he likes - which will only serve to make ACT look sill & lose them votes if he does.

ACT will need to look "parliamentary" if they want to do better in 2011, and SRD will need to act (sic) accordingly.

Remember that both Goff and King were supporters of SRD back in the 80's (for those who can't remember back that far....), so I think his exchanges with them have great entertainment potential.

maureen m   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

The next three years will be very interesting indeed with Sir Roger Douglas intending to speak out. ACT clearly have an agenda they want advanced that it is more stringent than Mr Key has committed to. We could be in for a few bumpy years if Sir Roger's previous intransigence is in evidence.

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