PRESS COMMENT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 2, 28 September 1943, Page 6

PRESS COMMENT

Argument For Non-Party

Government

RESULTS OF ELECTION

press comment on the general election urges that the result strengthens the argument for the formation of a non-partv Government. Excerpts from editorials published in metropolitan newspapers follow: — “New Zealand Herald, 1 ' Auckland: “The verdict has jolted the Labour Party heavily, and given it every reason to modify the attitude of all-con-quering self-assurance it has been able to maintain during the past eight years. Even if it succeeded in retaining and regaining all the electorates where the present majorities are narrow enough to leave the final result uncertain, it would have a plain warning that the honeymoon of Labour s new order is “More important than reasons _or underlying motives is the fact that New Zealand, by bringing the Opposition up within measurable strength of the Government, has restored to Parliament ,the functions it ought to exercise. _ The Government will have to face criticism with real strength behind it. A-proper case will have to be made for legislation. It will not be possible to force measures through at top pace unmindful of protests from Opposition benches or the country, as was done with the .Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act. This procedure has brought its own punishment for, even though the measure is not in force, it can be held largely responsible for the way the rural vote went against the Government. “Not only must the Government gather up its shaken forces, the Prime Minister has to reconstruct his Cabinet. On the most indulgent view of the party, he is woefully short of suitable material. Xue one vigorous and outstanding personality on the Government scene, Mr. Nash, proposes to be away from New Zealand for the greater .part of a year, leaving his portfolios, presumably, to acting Alinisters. • Inexperienced men of mediocre ■ abilities could not handle sueh important departments. They will have to be distributed among the present depicted and tired team, and the vacancies can only be filled by drawing on an uninspiring pool of reserves. This outlook naturally jjrings up the question of a National Government. Mr. Holland’s policy included forming one if he were returned to power. He must, therefore, be open to approaches from the other side. He is not. however, -bound to accept any terms that may be suggested. He and some of his associates left the War Administration on a point of principle, and the country has shown, in a practical way, that it respected them for it. They are entitled to take a stand on principle now. One condition of entry should ! be that the Land 'Sales Act should not operate in its present form, but that something less objectionable and better calculated to serve the end of land settlement for servicemen should be substituted for it.” Lack of Farming Members.

“Star,” Auckland: “No one will be more acutely aware than the Government and Parliamentary supporters that something has been altered by the voting on Saturday. They have received a severe setback, evidence of which is to be seen not only in the list of Labour members defeated, but also in the heavily-reduced majorities of those who were re-elected. The high confidence and irritating complacency which they expressed concerning the wisdom of their policy and tlie expertness of their administration is obviously not shared by the electorate in anything like the degree that would have been necessary to justify it. In particular, the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act must be thought to have been decisively rejected by the country electorates, which it chiefly affects. Though the, Government will have adequate nu-‘ merical support in the new House, its strength will not be commensurate with the numbers. The quality of its personnel was not impressive before the election. -It is less impressive now in a period in which the production of farming industries will be perhaps more important than ever before, a period, therefore, in which good relationships between the Government and the farmers will be . esential. The reduction in the Government Party’s numerical strength, its palpable qualitative deficiencies, and the fact that the new House will be lopsided 'with a great preponderance of farming representatives in the Opposition and very few on the Labour side increase the force and the number of arguments for the formation, of a non-party Govern-, ment immediately after the polls.” Leadership of National Party.

“Star-i Sun Christchurch: ‘‘Saturday’s polling should- give the Prime Minister and the managers of the Labour Fartya good deal to think about. An established Government that seeks the approval of the electors in time of war has everything in its favour -when it goes to the constituencies. Yet the, (Labour Government has come (back from the polls iu greatly reduced' strength in Parliament, and with a very clear indication that half the'electors are dissatisfied with its policy or its administration or both. But for the servicemen’s votes it might not have had a working majority. One positive conclusion from the polling is that the demand for a National Government will have to (be conceded by the Labour Party. The only excuse the party managers had 1 for holding out against the for inatioii of a true National Government was the overwhelming size of the party iu the House. Now, with the parties more even in numlbers. the last excuse for maintaining a sectional Government disappears, and the plain wish of the people that domestic differences should be dropped,ought to be carried into effect.”

Positive and Negative Achievements. “Press,” Christchurch: “The total vote cast for the Government was many thousands less than in 1038. The seats it holds ore all 'held 'by majorities smaller than in' 1938, many of them thousands smaller. The loss of seats, the shrunken total, and the shrunken majorities are n'ot attributable to the intrusion of a third party’s candidates or independents. The Government’s discomfiture is a reflex of the success achieved by the National Party. The Government can be in no uncertainty about the significance of these facts'. They declare that the electorate has not been satisfied by the Government’s claims or toy its programme. The electorate has not hesitated to show which way its confidence is turning. It has sent tlie Opposition back to its duty greatly strengthened in numbers and greatly strengthened, moreover, in talent and energy within its numbers. -Mr. Holland' is to be congratulated 1 on a great and positive achievement. The Prime Minister is to be congratulated- on a negative one. He has averted defeat.” No Rooni For Extra Parties.

“Otago Daily Times,” Dunedin : “Public opinion expressed ■ itselt with unmistakable clearness on two points. One of these is that under our 'political system there is in the judgment of electors no room for more than' two parties. The other pointjs indicated in the change in the state of the parties in the House. The mere fact that there, was an extraordinary number of candidates furnished in itself proof of the existence from one end of the country to the other of a grave dissatisfaction with the Government, and this dissatisfaction is plainly demonstrated by the result of the election. More significant than the reduction in their majorities to which the successful members of the Labour Party had to submit is that the Government actually failed to poll a majority of votes throughout the country. In 'both town and country the Labour Party has received a telljng public reminder that the people of New Zealand are by no means hypnotized by the schemes of socialism. The appreciable majority cast for Labour by members of the Armed Forces is against that trend, and the Prime Minister will no doubt be ready to claim it as his ultimate endorsement, but that is to overlook the opportunities for approach to the fighting men in the various theatres of war which Labour has had by virtue of its position in office, which notoriously it has exploited at the expense of the nation. When the sailors, soldiers and airmen return home they can be expected to express a clearer view of. the achievements of the Government they left behind them.”