CABINET AND CAUCUS MEETINGS SHOW QUICKENING IN POLITICAL ACTIVITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22867, 10 February 1949, Page 4

CABINET AND CAUCUS MEETINGS SHOW QUICKENING IN POLITICAL ACTIVITY

THIS IS ELECTION YEAR!

(S.R.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 10. Cabinet meetings which commenced on Wednesday are to be continued throughout the week, and a caucus of Government members will occupy at least two days of next week. This intensive political activity reminds us that 1949 is election year, and that the preparations must begin at once.

“THAT LITTLE EXTRA”

Political parties are' not inclined to provide previews of their election programmes, consequently the current deliberations will not immediately come out into tlic open. The National Party is also busy pro-gramme-making, but public announcements are usually timed for opening the election campaign, so that vigorous advocacy can be maintained without flagging until the electors go to the poll. Look to the Future A published suggestion that the Government caucus will be mainly concerned to receive the report of the Prime Minister. Mr. P. Fraser, on overseas impressions can be completely discounted, for Mr. Fraser is looking to the future and the possibility of increasing the Government’s narrow working majority of four. He must also impress his Parliamentary supporters with his continued zeal and ability as a leader, because it will be the duty of the caucus, later in the year, to pass .a motion naming the leader under whose banner the Parliamentary party wishes to serve in the campaign.

The decision is a foregone conclusion on the present occasion, but under different circumstances this privilege of the Government caucus to appoint its campaign leader could be of great significance.

It can be assumed that for at least two days next week members of the Cabinet will be rendering an account to caucus, not so much regarding past administration but their plans for the future, and the more attractive those plans as campaign material, the more caucus will be pleased.

One of the most Important of the immediate decisions of the Cabinet is that of the personnel of the Licensing Control Commission, with Its wide powers to revise the present system of sale and distribution of alcoholic liquor. The Government party considers it important that the powerful trio to administer the new Licensing Act should be able to demonstrate, before the end of this year, that good results can be expected. Social security has not reached its full development, in the opinion’of the Government party, and the Minister of Health is likely to be pressed to make a better arrangement with the medical profession so that payments from the fund will cover the full proportion of their charges. Last Election’s Winning Card The winning card of the 1946 election was the 10-year plan of the Minister of Works, involving a most attractive programme for the development of the Dominion as well as providing a practical method of insurance against the results of any possible economic recession.

The critics will now become alert, examining how much has been achieved in three years, and Mr. Semple, vigorous as ever, can be relied upon to present a good case, not so much regarding the past, with its shortages of men and material, but attractive plans for the future.

Last session he briefly sketched a programme of railway electrification to benefit the main centres, and increased enterprise in harnessing the country’s hydro-electric resources. The new plan will not be for 10 years, but may be expected to cover more immediate practical results as a positive reply to critics who analyse the modest achievements up to date. Mr. Nash the Hope of the Side The main-spring of the election policy is financej and here Mr. Nash is the hope of his side. Government supporters early last session were somewhat despondent over the tight rein held by the Minister of Finance despite a surplus of £1,750,000. However, the well kept secret of the revision of exchange: to parity with sterling, and the straight-out £lO deduction from income tax assessments, completely changed their view of the second most important member of the Cabinet. It will lead them to expect some more pleasant surprises In the Budget, making the election campaign more hopeful for their side.