The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, February 26, 1944. THE SESSION.

Grey River Argus, 26 February 1944, Page 4

The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, February 26, 1944. THE SESSION.

There is by no means the public eagerness for Parliamentary broadcasts that the 'Opposition Leader has this, year tried repeatedly to make out. The importance of the present session lies almost entirely in the legislation proposed by the Government, Rehabilitation ranks first. Thu Opposition, of course, wants manpower ’to. be debated in extenso, because it sees a chance of making political capital by forming itself into a mouthpiece of all sorts of complaints. As a matter of obvious fact, this question will not be a matter for legislation. It is an administrative subject, and the War Cabinet’s attitude will be of more consequence than the attempts of vested interests to secure special concessions. The public cannot fail to draw a very definite distiu'Ction between, the position of the Government and that of the Opposition in this relation. The Government is responsible- not merely for the home front and the internal economic situation, but also for the military services here and oversea, as well as the Dominion’s obligations to Britain and the other United Nations in the matter oi supplies and finance. In the light of everything, especially, a comparison with any other belligerent country, our economic administration ranks second to none, and therefore our handling of manpower must have been exceptionally efficient. It may he that the time has now come when industry may be allowed additional manpower. If it should be so, the exiient of our military effort manifestly must be subject to a definite reduction. The Government has all along been obliged to shape its policy in accordance with needs ncit only of people in the Dominion, but- of the Allied plans of campaign, which now will be a far bigger factor than any other in determining such manpower readjustment as may be contemplated. Consequently, Parliament can affect the position solely in an advisory capacity, and the public will remembei the Government’s responsibility no matter what complaints there may come from the Parliamentary Opposition. If their .initial effort this session is any criterion Nationalist Members are more anxious to make trouble than to remove it. They showed an early disposition to aggravate any industrial difficulty that may have occurred of late. Possibly this might not have ultimately a bad effect, as it will be calculated to range the workers as solidly as ever behind the Government. The workers must not forget that the National Party controls the press of the country, and that it is already to use that instrument to foment, discontent, as it is to misrepresent the Government. It would admittedly be a miracle did the Avhole course of war-time administration over a period of more than four and a-half years fail to give occasion for grievances in more than one section of the population. Many such in earlier stages have vanished when experience . demonstrated them to have been unwarranted or to have b'een rectified at the first opportunity. The best test of the general situation, at the-outset of the’session is that the Opposition has little more than minor, if not pett r -fogging complaints to voice, and nobody else will lose a minute’s sleep because Parliament is not specially kept sitting to afford them, a sounding board for

suieli talk. "What, is -needed is simply a speedy enactment of essential measures, and a renewed direction of the public mind towards the task of completing the war effort as expeditiously as possible.