GENERAL ELECTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 September 1943, Page 4

GENERAL ELECTIONS

MR FRASER’S REVIEW WELLINGTON, September 29. The General Election contest is over. The battle has been won by Labour, and won handsomely, says the Prime Minister, in an article m the official Labour weekly newspaper. “While Labour’s very large majority has been materially decreased, owing mainly to the diversion of votes to those who both used and demanded the name of Democratic Labour, our present majority is substantial and satisfactory, and is quite adequate to enable us to carry on the Government of New Zealand efficiently and effectively, with credit to Labour and with additional lasting benefits and blessings for the pe °On’the eve of the election I asked for approval and endorsement by the people of New Zealand for the Government’s war effort. We have received that approval and endorsement,” Mr Fraser adds. “The people of New Zealand, including men of the Forces abroad and at home, whose votes were cast so overwhelmingly for Labour, have given a definite decisive and full mandate to the Government to implement its programme. The people of New Zealand, including men of the Forces, have given a definite, decisive and full condemnation of the policy of the Nationalist Party. The Government will exercise fully the mandate we have received from the people. We are completely capable of discharging this great trust. Our past achievements have proved that fact. We do'not propose to be handicapped or trammelled in any way by sharing the authority for carrying out our policy and the legislative and administrative plans for its realisation, with any person or party which has opposed us and our programme, and has been rejected by the people.” After referring to the formation of the War Administration in 1942, Mr Fraser states the National Party by its action then had destroyed all hope of achieving national political unity. After such experience any further efforts in the same direction would be futile. “The Labour Government will win the peace for the people of New Zealand, and by maintaining our high social and economic conditions, make social security and social justice impregnable in this green and pleasant land. I conclude with my highest appreciation of and sincerest thanks to the Maori people who sweepingly led the way to another Labour victory.”

MR HOLLAND’S COMMENT CHRISTCHURCH, September 29. “It is quite clear that the outside pressure that dominates the Labour Party has been too strong for Mr Fraser,” said Mr Holland, when the article by the Prime Minister' in the “Standard” was referred to him for comment this afternoon. “On innumerable occasions in the past Mr Fraser has stated his personal opinion that a National Government was essential for a full war effort,”'Mr Holland continued. “Apparently, however, he is not in a position to implement those opinions. It is true that on the day before the election he asked the people to support his party. On the next day, however, the majority of the people of New Zealand said by their votes that they opposed the present Government’s administration, therefore Mr Fraser’s statement that he feels he can claim that the Government’s policy has been endorsed, when more than half of the people have voted against the Government is just about the strangest reckoning ‘ one can imagine. Clearly the people have said by their votes that they demand that this Government should refrain from further expansion of State control, internal marketing and such like measures of nationalisation, but apparently Mr Fraser is quite unable to take that meaning from the electors’ verdict."