ELECTION WANTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 243, 14 October 1931, Page 3

ELECTION WANTED.

LABOUR'S INSISTENT DEMAND. EARLY STATEMENT SOUGHT. j "COUNTRY ENTITLED TO KNOW." I (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Eeporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. An insistent challenge to the Government to disclose, and without delay, its policy regarding the life of the present Parliament was the feature of the attack launched by the Official Opposition on the Supplementary Financial Statement in the House yesterday. In the opinion of the Labour party, the Government would be failing in its duty if it did not invite the electorate to declare itself on the programme announced. "In view of the nature of the Supplementary Budget and the fact that it represents a complete reversal of policy as far as the United party is concerned and a partial reversal from the Reform point of view,"' said Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader„of the Opposition, in inaugurating the debate, "the people of New Zealand should have an opportunity of declaring themselves on the proposals before they are put into operation. Would it not be the correct procedure to take this policy to the country and ask the electors what they think about it? Remarkable changes, which the people have not yet approved and which the majority will undoubtedly disapprove, are proposed, yet we cannot obtain a statement from the Prime Minister that the two parties have come to an agreement as to whether the general election will be held or not. It would be a fair thing to make a statement to-day." "Political Party Moves." Mr. Holland said that before the House could adequately consider the Supplementary Budget the position regarding the life of Parliament should be defined and the policy of the new ' Minister in Charge of Unemployment made known. No member of the United party could say that the Budget reflected the policy on which his party was elected. Having scrapped its policy, the United party had now scrapped its Ministers. For the sake of party con-; sideration quite a number of honourable members had been sacrificed. 'No doubt j they believed," added Mr. Holland, '"that their sacrifice was meant for the good of the country, but they have since found out that these political positions have been manipulated, for party considerations. Anybody who looks at the latest appointment to the Upper House will recognise it was purely a political party move. Mr. J. S. Fletcher (Independent, Grey Lynn): And a disgraceful one, too. Mr. Holland declared that one of the most popular members of the Legislative Council had been sacrificed to • party political considerations. • "Reform Domination." A Labour Member: His nead was on the block, all right. Mr. Holland said the rank and file of .the United party must accept full responsibility for whatever was done, j It was no excuse to protest that they were under the domination of the Reform party, although it was a fact that the Government was dominated by the; Reform party. Touching briefly on the proposal to abolish the graduated land tax, Mr. Holland contrasted the change ia front of the Reform party, which, he said, had favoured the tax* in 1925, but was now supporting its removal. Similarly with the payment of income tax by farmers, it was* the Reform party which bad removed in in 1923, but to-day was seeking to reimpose it. Anyone was entitled to change his opinions, but when a. Government Teversed its policy on fundamental principles, it should go back to the country. Renewing his appeal for a Ministerial statement as to the date of the elections, Mr. Holland said that at present no one knew, except one small section of the Reform and United parties. The members of the Government did not as a body know the position. Mr. R Semple '\Labour, Wellington East): And th<>y dare not ask' Mr. Holland said he could appreciate the Prime Miuifeteie reluctance ic face the electors, but there were bigger ouestions at stake than the fate of poii'/r.-al parties. " Boxing the Compass." ] . Mr. Holland's appeal was strongly sup. j ported bv the deputy-Leader of the Labour party, Mr. M. J. Savage (Auckland West),"who said that the failure of a Government speaker to follow the Leader of the Opposition was almost as remarkable as the Supplementary Budget, which contained nothing that would help anybody. Declaring that the United party had '•"boxed the compass, Mr. Savage said it had stood to its prolamine for two years and then saw fit to join up with the Reformers, subsequently overboarding its own' Ministers after it had thrown the Labour party overboard. Mr. Savage contended that the Government did not have a mind of its own as far as the election was concerned. If the present circumstances justified a coalition and a prolongation of the life of Parliament, then the Government should take the House into its confidence. The electors should know whether thev would be called upon to vote this v-ear or not. Nobody outside Cabinet reallv knew what the position was, and he predicted that beiore long members of the Ministry itself would be at each others throats. He challenged the Ministry to make a straightforward statement. , "What is your secret hope?'" murmured the Hon. W. Downie Stewart.

Mr. Savage: My vote and my prayers also will be for an election, so that the people may have an opportunity of getting even'vrith the Government of the day. I will vote for an election at the earliest moment. The Government can submit these proposals to the people. It can add something if it likes, for the proposals are mainly water. I suggest the Government takes authority for whatever supply is necessary, and goes to the polls immediately. It can go on Monday next as far as I am concerned. Patience Recommended. When the first Minister, the Hon. D. Jones, came into the debate, Labour members maintained their interest in the election issue by making* frequent interjections. '""Why did you not ask the electors about it," interjected a Labour member after the Minister had dealt with the Governments policy in relation to mortgagees. ■ The Minister laughingly replied, advising patience. "If--we "did say there was going to be an election you would 1 be very angry about it." Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Independent,' Egmont), a member of the Inter-party' Committee, said the general election ehould take place at the ordinary time. There was nothing drastic enough in the GOTenrmentfs programme to'justifv a'i Dostooasment. ■