COALITION MOVE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 135, 4 March 1941, Page 8

COALITION MOVE

Mr. Holland Disclaims

Knowledge

NO APPROACH TO HIM

Holding Of Elections As Usual Urged

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 3. “I suppose the public would expect me to know about these things, and I can only say that I know nothing of any such negotiations or arrangements, and I have not had any approaches made to me,” said the leader of the National Party, Mr. S. G. Holland, in an address at Ponsonby tonight, when referring to reports about negotiations for the formation of a National Government.

“From the moment 1 arrived in Auckland I have been bombarded with'inquiries as to how far the negotiations have gone,” said Mr. Holland. “From what I can gather it appears that various reports have stated that negotiations are well under way, and in some instances they state that arrangements for the formation of a National Government are practically complete. The position stands where it did after I spoke at Blenheim a week or so ago, when I made straightforward proposals that both the Prime Minister and I should undertake on behalf or cur respective parties to form a ,truly non-party Government, regardless of which party has a majority after the forthcoming elections. . * “The Government has up to now consistently refused to have anything to do with a National Government, and has carried on wartime administration for 18 months, at the same time pursuing a , policy of advanced Socialism until we are within a few months of a general election.” The present Parliament was elected for three years, Mr. Holland said. No one knew hbw long the war would last, and he felt that the only proper course to pursue was to have the elections and elect a new Parliament for the duration of the war. Then the Government could fearlessly ' attack the many complex war problems without constantly having one eye, as it were, on the impending election. “People are entitled to express themselves at the ballot-box,” he said. “If the elections are postponed at this late stage, a postponement could only be for a short time, and we would be little better off than we are now.”