"CUT-THROAT POLITICS"

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 198, 22 August 1930, Page 9

"CUT-THROAT POLITICS"

PARTY SYSTEM BLAMED.

INDEPENDENT M.P.'S VIEWS

MEETING OF NEW ASSOCIATION.

(By Telegraph,—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day,

Speaking at the first annual meeting of the New Zealand Political Association, the president, Mr. Edwin Salmond, said it .was evident that a great number of people were genuinely alarmed at the present political position. They viewed with apprehension the sight of two parties, whose policies were not very wide asunder, fighting each other tooth and nail, while a third party to a great degree dictated the fate of the Government. ** "Is it not possible," he said, "that the public will presently cry 'A plague 0' both your houses,' and in exasperation return the party to power which is frankly socialistic? If this association continues to receive support, I believe it can do something to stop the cut-tliroat tactics that are at present being pursued by the two biggest parties in the House. The threecornered fights in some electorates— and I need only mention the late byelection in Hutt as a case in point, simply mean that the bulk of the electors in such electorates are disfranchised." Mr. C. A. Wilkinson- (Independent M.P. for Egmont) said the party system had got this country in a very firm grip, and Parliament, instead of functioning in the real interests of the country, only functioned at the behest of a small group in Parliament, and not necessarily a group representing the whole country. Sectional interest was supreme. What we • really wanted was a well-sustained effort to bring the country , back to prosperity, but under tlio present peculiar system there seemed little chance of bringing that about, because members were occupied most of the time in fighting one another. 111 his judgment, the system of government by party was mostly responsible for our present troubles. Mr. Wilkinson suggested that when the next House was elected the House should elect its own leader —or even the two Houses might elect a leader. Then the leader should select his Cabinet. He would be quite agreeable to the House or even both Houses electing the whole Cabinet and then letting Cabinet elect its leader. The best men, Labour or otherwise, should be selected to govern the country. Mr. Salmond said the association had made solid progress during its first year, and 1250 financial members had been enrolled.