LABOUR’S DECISION

Grey River Argus, 27 August 1941, Page 4

LABOUR’S DECISION

MENZIES SHOULD RESIGN Stable Government CAN BE ASSURED BY CURTIN LAus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.J (Rec. 11.50) CANBERRA, Aug. 26. The Australian parliamentary labour Barty to-day neid its to consider the proposal ol Mr ivlen f'?, s mat Labour should join me U.A.F. and U.C.P. in a National Government. summarised, tne decisions of me Labour caucus are as toliows: — First: The Labour Party agrees that a workable Parliament is essential lor tne prosecution or tne war. secondly: fhe Labour Party ieels that Mr Menzies’ olte r as to a INational Government indicates that ne is not able to provide stable government. ‘ . Thirdly: The Labour Party disagrees with tne view that Mr Curtin would not be able to secure a workable Parliament witn political stability. On tne contrary, Mr Curtin is entitled to expect the same cooperation in regard to me war as the Labour Party already has given to the Menzies’ Ministry.

Fourthly: The Laboui Party consider that Mr Menzies should return ms commission and should also advise the Governor-General ot tne Laoour Party's views. The meeting of the Labour Party lasted onlv haif an hour. Its verdict was unanimous. Mr Curtin thereupon sent a letter to Mr Menzies, in which he pointed out: The Labour Party, ever since the general election, h.as striven to give effect to its pledge to co-oper-ate to the utmost with the Government in the war effort; and, in pursuance of its original undertakings, the Labour Party has not taken political advantage of its numerical strength in order to embarrass the Government.

Mr Curtin added: For this reason alone—although you are the leader of a party that only has ty/enty-four members, along with the twelve Country Party members, making a total of thirty-six—you • have been able to continue as the head of the Government. All of the facts prove that there has been close co-opera-tion between the Government and the Opposition in the war organisation, in addition to which Labour has : placed at the disposal of the Ministers the services of its individual members.

Mr Curtin indicated that dissension which has lately emerged has not been caused by the Labour Party, but by certain Government supporters, and that the position would not be changed by a reconstruction of the Government. It was entirely wrong to assume, added Mr Curtin, that an All-Party Government was necessary to ensure stability, since that type of government did not exist while Mr Menzies was absent in London. Labour was opposed to an All-Party Government because it would stifle honest patriotic criticism, without which a successful war effort was impossible. Government’s Quandary LABOUR LIKELY TO SUCCEED (Rec. 1.35) CANBERRA, Aug. 26 The Federal Cabinet is still sitting. There is little prospect of any disclosure of its plans with regard to its next move until to-morrow. The decis : on of Cabinet will be submitted to-morrow to a joint meeting of both of the Government Parties the U.A.P. and tha U.C.P. .

It is quite apparent that the Government is in a very tight corner, one which it appears that it has no room for a compromise with the Labour Party also no hope of Mr Menzies continuing ais Prime Minister, and even less likelihood of him going to London in any capacity whatever. The Government’s supporters do not relish the prospect of a general election. Most of them prefer to see the Labour Partv at the helm of government for the duration of the .war, and for the sake of political ’stability.