NEW MINISTRY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 205, 30 August 1941, Page 7

NEW MINISTRY

MR. FADDEN'S TASK

Minor Position Retained By Mr. Menzies Coiled lToi> Association.—Copyright. CANBERRA, Aug. 29. Mr. Menzies called on the Gover-nor-General. Lord Gowrie. this morning. and surrendered his commission as Prime Minister of Australia. At the same time, he tendered the resignation of the Government.

Mr. Menzies advised the Gover-nor-General to send for Mr. A. \\\ Fadden. who was later commissioned to form a new Ministry and was sworn in as Prime Minister.

Mr. Fadden announced that there will be no change in the Cabinet personnel until after the Budget, except that Mr. Menzies will retain his minog post as Minister for Defence Co-ordination. Mr. Fadden, meanwhile, will continue to act as Federal Treasurer.

It was officially stated that Mr. Menzies has decided that in any circumstances he will not go to London as "Minister Extraordinary."

The Independent member, Mr. Wilson, who holds the balance of power in the evenly-divided House, declared his conditional support for the new Government, and said he was willing to give it every chance to prove itself.

The Labour party has undertaken for the time being to continue full co-operation in the War Advisory Council. Every Step to Avoid Election Mr. Fadden assured Press-men to-day that he intends to take every possible step to avoid an election, and. by a policy of compromise, to try to retain the help and co-opera-tion of the Labour party. He pointed out that no steps would be taken to appoint a Minister to London, but negotiations would be opened immediately with the British Prime Minister. Mr. Churchill, with that end in view.

The Labour leader. Mr. John Curtin, said Mr. Fadden would receive neither less nor greater cooperation than the Labour party had given -Mr. Menzies.

Dr. H. V. Evatt (Labour) raised doubts regarding the constitutional procedure by which Mr. Fadden had become Prime Minister. Dr. Evatt qi/estioned whether Mr. Fadden was in any better position than Mr. Menzies to provide a stable Government. and said it would be interesting to know what assurance he gave the Governor-General on the subject. Indeed, Mr. Fadden's prospect was worse, since overnight at least one Government member. Mr. A. W. Coles, had seceded from the fold. Short Life Predicted The impression prevails in Canberra that the Fadden Government is doomed to a brief existence. Some of the more candid Labour members are already declaring that Labour cannot possibly tolerate a Government led by the leader of the smallest party in the House, whose poliev is fundamentally opposed to that of Labour. Mr. Fadden. commenting on the appointment of an Australian Minister to London, has announced that the only step that the Australian Government can take at this juncture is to enter into negotiations in London. He stated that there will be a series of Cabinet meetings next week in Canberra. The Cabinet will meet in future at Canberra instead of Melbourne, which was used bv Mr Menzies.