Holding responsibility for one’s actions and accepting blame are two different forms of remorse. Although, ostensibly they seem to overlap and carry the same meaning, the actual engineering of each form of remorse differs greatly in regards to the consequences or even references they are associated with. In individual ministerial responsibility within New Zealand’s government, the consequences are found to be more in the lines of holding responsibility for one’s actions rather than accepting blame. Regardless, there are three main types of individual ministerial responsibility that will also be analysed throughout this essay. Individual ministerial responsibility is a constitutional convention, hence it is not entrenched in our legal system;
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However, the following quote displays the distinction: A responsible person is one who can be left in charge, who can be relied on to cope, who will not slope off, leaving the job undone, or switch off, leaving the business unattended to. So long as a responsible person is responsible, you can sleep easy, knowing that no extra vigilance on your part is called for, and that he will see to it that all goes well. ‘Responsible’ in this sense is an adjective, denoting a quality of character and mind, not a position within a web of dialectical obligation . . . .It is a term of high commendation, though from an external point of view. We want to have responsible people about in positions of authority, performing their duties reliably and well (Lucas 1993, p. 11)
This quote explicitly explains the type of position that a person is put in when they are held responsible. They are not to be blamed, but they are to oversee that is running smoothly. However, if issues do arise, they are to take action and represent their responsibility in a clear manner. The public relies on the responsibility being taken by someone else, they may place the blame on the ministers, but in reality, they are only held responsible but not to
However, the following quote displays the distinction: A responsible person is one who can be left in charge, who can be relied on to cope, who will not slope off, leaving the job undone, or switch off, leaving the business unattended to. So long as a responsible person is responsible, you can sleep easy, knowing that no extra vigilance on your part is called for, and that he will see to it that all goes well. ‘Responsible’ in this sense is an adjective, denoting a quality of character and mind, not a position within a web of dialectical obligation . . . .It is a term of high commendation, though from an external point of view. We want to have responsible people about in positions of authority, performing their duties reliably and well (Lucas 1993, p. 11)
This quote explicitly explains the type of position that a person is put in when they are held responsible. They are not to be blamed, but they are to oversee that is running smoothly. However, if issues do arise, they are to take action and represent their responsibility in a clear manner. The public relies on the responsibility being taken by someone else, they may place the blame on the ministers, but in reality, they are only held responsible but not to