LIFE OF PARLIAMENT

MAY BE EXTENDED

MEETING OF LEADERS

POSSIBLE OUTCOME

The prospect of a General Election being avoided this year is now considered in political circles ; to be very strong. Yesterday morn- ! ing' the general opinion in the j lobbies was that an election was inevitable, but during the day a swift change came over the scene when it was understood that the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) had invited the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Holland) to meet him. That meeting subsequently took place, and the possibility of an extension of the life of Parliament is j now discussed. ■ A fortnight ago the caucus of the Government party thoroughly discussed the election issue. As the Prime Minister immediately after his arrival at Auckland from his tour abroad stated that he would be making an .early ..announcement on the question, it was expected that the Government's decision would be made known when Parliament met on the Tuesday following the meeting of the caucus on. September 20. Under these circum-j stances the silence of the Prime Minister on this all-important subject became a topic of conversations in the lobbies, and Government and Opposition members alike were puzzled as to why there should be this delay. A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION. It was well known that a large group of members of the Government Party, including prominent Cabinet Ministers, were in favour of an election being held, but it was felt that they could not take the risk of going to the country if there was any possibility of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force being in action during the election campaign. . Mr. Fraser's silence in face of all requests for an announcement seemed to indicate that perhaps he knew more of the possible movements of the New Zealand troops than anybody else in political circles. I Colour has since been given to this , by the publication on Thursday of a dispatch from New Zealand's war correspondent that the Expeditionary Force was being again moved into the desert. There was also the cable the day before announcing an Italian report, that British troops were on, the move in the Western Desert. MEETING OF LEADERS. The meeting between Mr. Fraser and Mr. Holland took place after ithe House - rose yesterday afternoon, and subsequently Mr. Holland said that the General Election issue had been one of the subjects discussed, and that the conversations would probably be co*ntinued next week. Instead of going to Christchurch for the weekend as usual, Mr. Holland is remaining in Wellington, and it is understood that there is to be a caucus of the Opposition on "Tuesday. In considering the" election question four possible courses offer then*selves. The first, the holding of the election, is discounted for the reasons stated. • . . Another is the formation of a National Government, but Government members, do not favour this^ proposal. It would -mean- a -reorganisation of Cab- ' met at a critical stage -in the Dominion's war effort^ and. this would not tend towards harmony either nationally or. in the Labour Party itself. A third is an extension of the War Cabinet to include at least the Leader of the - Opposition. .An invitation to Mr. Holland to join his colleagues, Messrs. Hamilton and Coates, in the . War Cabinet has been made more than once, but each time he has declined, and he has given no indication"" since that his view has undergone a change. His attitude has been that if he joined the. War Cabinet criticism : by the Opposition would be to a large extent stifled.. ; PARLIAMENT'S LIFE. The fourth possibility, and the one which seems the most practicable for a number of reasons is the extension of the life of the present Parliament, which under normal circumstances would expire on November 1 next. In the first place, the carrying out of such a proposal, seems to be the only way. having regard to all the circumstances, in which an election can be avoided. The passing of the "Doctors Bill" yesterday completed the fulfilment by the Government of its major policy measures, and this, it is suggested, also has a bearing on the election postponement issue. In Government circles it has been stated that if an election were held this year and the Government was returned its next three years of office would be largely administra : tive. If this is so, and an assurance is given to Mr. Holland that there would be no contentious domestic legislation, it would be likely to remove a possible objection by the Opposition to a postponement of the election. Should there be agreement between the parties for an extension' of the life of Parliament, the question arises as to what period-it would cover. A few months have been mentioned and also one year. Other suggestions are for duration of the war, and even the duration and twelve months afterwards.