BID FOR POWER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20378, 15 October 1940, Page 7

BID FOR POWER

FACTIONS DIVIDED WAR COUNCIL EFFORT MELBOURNE, Oct, 12. The Australian. Labour Party is expected next week to repeat its offer to the present Government to join a National War Council ;in which all parties 'wpuld participate. Whether such a body would be purely advisory, as originally proposed by Labour and rejected by the Government, or expanded on the New Zealand pattern into a National War Cabinet with Executive functions is likely to be debated. - ■: Labour is still thought unlikely to offer to join a National Government, although the party’s antipathy to such an 7 arrangement ,; i$ ; bplieved to be weakening in the hope that a political reshuffle envisages an equitable distribution of portfolios with a Labour Prime Minister. Rank and File Opposition But even if the United Australian and Country Parties were willing to accept the Labour leader, Mr. J. Curtin, as Prime Minister in place ot Mr. R. G. Menzies, and to give Labour equal representation in the Cabinet, there would be- strong opposition among Labour members to the entrance of their representatives into a National Ministry. Labour, however, is anxious to co-' operate to the maximum extent consistent with its abstention from a National Government in the carrying on of Australia’s war activities, and there is a strong body of opinion in Labour’s ranks here against the party making a bid for power. In Labour circles in Victoria, there' is strong opposition to a National Government, but it. is not thought desirable to invite a repetition of what took place during 1929-31, when Mr. J. H. Scutlin, with a- majority in the House of Representatives, h!»d to face a hostile Senate. Kalgoorlie By-Election Mr. Menzies is known to be concerned at the amount of whispering that has been going on in political circles. It has been so persistent that one prominent Labour member was moved to-night to observe that apparently there was little trust of one another among the members of both the Government’ parties. In the meantime a surprise element has been introduced by the optimism of non-Labour leaders that the Kalgoorlie seat rendered vacant by the death of Mr. “Texas” Green, will be won by a U.A.P. candidate. Both Labour and the Government forces are awaiting the result of the Kalgoorlie by-election to bring the “showdown.” Several shrewd Labour observers realise that the-deadlock cannot be continued after the Kalgoorlie byelection without endangering their party’s standing in the eyes of the public, and they are candid in their view that it is Mr. Menzies personally who is not acceptable to the rank and file as leader of a National Government.