PARTY SYSTEM

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 120, 17 November 1931, Page 11

PARTY SYSTEM

WHAT OF THE INDEPEN-

DENTS ?

The belief that it was impossible to break down tho party system was expressed by Mr. E. A. Wright, Coalition candidate for Wellington Suburbs, at his meeting at Brooklyn last night. Sooner or later, he said, divided opinions would lead to the formation of groups.

"What is an Independent V asked Mr. Wright. "An Independent is a person who is riot attached to any party. But how long can a. man be an Independent in the House of Representatives? Experience has shown us that an Independent must work entirely on his own. Ho is hoeing a- lonely furrow. An Independent in the House of Representatives will never get anywhere if he remains an Independent for any length of time. It is impossible to do away with -party." Even if a Parliament was elected on a non-party basis, said Mr. Wright, there would have to be a Government — an Executive—and that Government would have- to bring down certain proposals; probably taxation proposals. What would happon1? There would be some in the House who would hold tho opinion that there should not be a tax on land, and immediately there would be a cleavago of opinion. In the House of Representatives they had five Independents, but they worked together. Just recently the leader of the group (Mr. Wilkinson)—he would not admit that it was a party-1-inoved a vote of no-confidenco in the Government. That showed plainly that there was cohesion amongst the Independents.