Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1928 FUSION PREFERRED

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 November 1928, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1928 FUSION PREFERRED

’J’HE completion of the official counts of the polling in Dominion constituencies is awaited with some eagerness, as until these final figures are known, the strength of the respective Parties cannot be ascertained. There is scope for change in a few districts, and on these results depends whether Mr. Coates will resign immediately or wait until he meets Parliament. He is being given plenty o£ advice on the subject, especially from his principal opponents, but meanwhile, he remains reticent as to his intentions, except to promise that lie will do the fair thing.

What the general public are discussing is as to what combination will be brought about by the present state of affairs. No Party will be strong enough by itself to rule against the wishes of all its rivals, and the alternative to another general election (which few want for the time being) is a Coalition Ministry, or one permitted to keep office on sufferance, with the liability of defeat before it, should legislative efforts be made contrary to the desires of political opponents. That will mean stagnation, and a position detrimental to national interests, and unlikely to increase respect for whichever Party holds office. Even were an. immediate general election to be held, there is little likelihood of any one Party getting a clear majority in the

House, thus it seems to be wise to effect a Coalition Ministry. Obviously, this must be a cooperation between Reform and the United Party, which have long had much in common, and should, in the opinion of many electors, have long ago combined forces. What difference there is to-day between them in main political principles is difficult to discover; it is only in detail and method that argument may arise. Whilst they fight each other Ihey do nothing so much as benefit the political foe of both, Labpur, whereas combined they could be fairly sure of guiding national destinies for many years. Some object to fusion because it would give Labour the status of ilic Official Opposition. Labour has already won that privilege, and may soon gain the highest honours if their opponents continue to split the anti-Labour vote. j

Fusion, might cause some of the advanced -wing of the United Party to join Labour, and perhaps some Reform £< die-hards” would withhold allegiance from the new political grouping. That would not necessarily be a national disadvantage. The deserters to Labour would exercise a restraining influence on that Party, and the progress of the

Reform-United Government would be easier. What is clear is that the three-Party system has not proved workable, and must be changed if frequent elections are to be avoided. The Federal Government in Australia is a fusion, and it is certain that last Saturday’s pollings in the Commonwealth would have ended in a Labour victory, if the Nationalists and Country Party had not co-operated. The Homeland is preparing for its general elections next year, and strong efforts are being made to induce Labour and Liberals to combine against the Conservatives. Labour has hitherto declined Mr. Lloyd George’s advances, but there is no doubt that the present Opposition’s chance of victory would greatly improve if they amalgamated. The two-Party system has been subjected to criticism and trial, hut experience has proved that, despite its defects, it is the, system most suited to meet the needs of British peoples, if those in Parliament are to be really representative of the majority of the electors.