The Opposition

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21729, 11 March 1936, Page 10

The Opposition

With the approach of the session there has been much discussion of the tactics which should be followed by the Opposition. Very little of it has been profitable. It goes without sayirig that the Opposition will not enhance i,ts prestige or render any service to the country by using obstructive tactics in the House of Representatives. The new Government has a heavy legislative programme, and while it should not, and probably will not, attempt to curtail criticism, it is entitled to expect Parliament to function with speed and efficiency. Apart from this, the Opposition cannot decide its tactics in advance. Everything must depend on the nature of the Government's measures. If they are wisely conceived, and can reasonably be construed as coming wittiin the mandate the Labour party received* 1 from the electorate, criticism should be sympathetic and confined mainly to points of administrative detail. If, on the other hand, the Government attempts to pass measures for which it has no mandate, the Opposition has a duty to speak its mind plainly and vigorously, without pausing to consider political expediency. The rank and file of the Opposition is, however, so weak in ability and debating power, as well as in numbers, that what it says during the session is not likely to arouse much public interest, or have any substantial modifying influence on Labour's policy. The position will be very different after the session, when the electorate has had time to reflect upon the first instalment of the Labour programme and has begun to lose its present feeling of easy optimism. There will then be a demand—there is none at present—for an Opposition party with constructive opinions; and it will then be time for the National Politi-cal-Federation to discuss policy and organisation. There will probably be general agreement that the name, which was always a little pretentious and is now meaningless, should be dropped. The question of leadership is also of the greatest importance. Shortly after the general election, and before the results for some electorates were finally \ known, a meeting of National members in Wellington elected Mr Forbes leader of the Opposition. The meeting should not have been held and its decision ought not to be regarded as a final settlement of the question of leadership. Whatever political virtues Mr Forbes may have, it would not be claimed for him that he has ever been outstanding as an Opposition leader or that he is the man to build up a popular movement. The members of the Opposition must remember that the main task of the leader they choose will be to regain the confidence of the many thousands of younger electors who voted Labour at the last elections, not because they were socialists but because.no other party tried to understand them or interest them. There is, in truth, no opposition party at the moment. The Reform and the United parties have paid the inevitable penalty of, entering a coalition by becoming at the most skeleton organisations without any active following; the National Political Federation began its career too late and suffered from the leadership of men who had no real contact with the electorate. If the Opposition is to do any better next election than it did last, it must be rebuilt from the foundations by ,men who understand that the New Zealand of 1936 is very different from the New Zealand of 1926.