NO CO-OPERATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 92, 20 April 1939, Page 9

NO CO-OPERATION

MENZIES MINISTRY

COUNTRY PARTY ATTITUDE

QUALIFIED SUPPORT ONLY

(By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyrightl (Received April 20, 9 a.m.)] j

CANBERRA, This Day. The Country Party members tpnight reiterated their intention of refusing to take office in any Ministry formed by Mr. R. G. Menzies, but they are not anxious for an election and are prepared to give discriminating support from the cross benches to legislation brought forward by him. It is expected that Mr. Menzies will be commissioned to form a Ministry tomorrow. The present state of parties in the House of Representatives is:—Labour 29, United Australia Party 26, Country Party 17. Thus the Country Party holds the balance of power, but in no circumstances will Labour agree to form a Government on the promise of support from the Country Party. ' A representative of the "Sun" reports that Sir Earle Page, the Acting Prime Minister, today declined to give any indication in regard to the advice he will give the Governor-General, Lord Gowrie, tomorrow. He has riot i taken Mr. Menzies into his confidence, and a number of Government supporters fear that he will endeavour to jeopardise Mr. Menzies's prospects of being granted a commission to form a Government.

The general expectation is that Mr. Menzies will be commissioned to form a Government and that the CountryParty will refuse to be represented in it.