NATIONAL UNITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 146, 21 June 1940, Page 9

NATIONAL UNITY.

OPPOSITION VIEW. x NO "GATE CRASHING." MINISTERS' JUSTIFICATION. Bj- Telegraph.—rParllnmcntary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. "We <litl HQt "'ant to 'gate crash.' We j vanted a friendly welcome," was the lummirig up by Mr. G.'W. Forbes (Oppo- j iition, Hurunui) in the House of Repre- , ientatives last night of the Opposition )ffer of political unity. He described ) ,-arious phases of negotiation, pointing iut that the Opposition took the unusual j ;top of making the first offer, being j billing to subordinate themselves for , :ho purpose of the war cllort, in which | ;he unity of fill classed, was so essential. , Dhe demand for a non-party Goyernnent was strong in the community, \ ,vhich realised that a division on top ( ■vould be demoralising to those expected to do their best at the wish of the : Government. '~,•', i The Governincnt's ofTcr to include two i. Ministers without portfolio gave no idiuinistrativc power to the Opposition. 'It was a. shadow without substance, putting something over on the public far from what they had in mind," concluded Mr. Forbes. Replying, the Minister of Labour, Mr. Webb, recalled the formation of- the National Government during the Great War. At that time, he said, Labour hid six to eight, representatives in the House,' and on the basis of votes recorded for tflio party in the country were entitled to more scats, but no offcr_ was made of representation in the National Government. Mr. Forbes: They were offered a seat. Mr. Webb: The party in the House was never offered a seat. Mr. Forbes: It was offered by Sir Joscph Ward to the late Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh. Mr. Webb said • there was no offer made to the party, but there might have been an offer to an individual member of the party. Mr. Forbes should realise that at no" time in the history of the country had various interests been so well represented as now in the councils of the Government. The Government wished to got the best brains in the community and to concentrate them in furtherance of the Dominion's war effort, and this was being done. Country Behind War Effort. "The Prime Minister was simple, •honest and clean in the discussions," suggested the Minister of (Finance, Mr. Nash, commenting on the statement that there had been an unfriendly atmosphere. Transcending political and all other fecjings -was the need to get the ■whole country behind the war effort, continued' the Minister. He .believed there never was a time when the people were so united in purpose.. He declined to argue the relative merits of a War Cabinet or War Council except to suggest that the former's powers covered tlie war effort and the Ministers included had authority to put decision's into force. ,j