UNANIMITY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 213, 22 August 1931, Page 7

UNANIMITY

COATES’ PROPOSAL EXPLANATORY STATEMENT PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE. LABOUR VITALLY CONCERNED. Parliament JJldgs., Aug. 22. As the result of yesterday’s dramatic development in the political situation, speculation has been rife as to the possibility of the formation of a National Government and prolongation of the life of the present Parliament. The impression seems to have developed that in the event of the parties’ Conference failing to reach unanimity, the consequence would be fusion, or coJition of the United and Reform parties and a majority decision to extend the term of Parliament. It has been made clear that Labour, under the circumstances, would agree to the latter course.

Interviewed by the Press Association this morning, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates repeated his statement of yesterday that I motion contemplated neither fusion nor prolongation of the life of the present Parliament. To him a National Government meant nothing. The position was being approached de novo, and it was the earnest hope of the Reform Party that the conference of parties would, with the help of outside experts, be able to devise a plan that would lead to the rehabilitation of the Dominion and its people as rapidly as possible. Asked whether he was optimistic regarding the possibility of the conference reaching agreement, Mr. Coates said that unless one was optimistic one got nowhere. He could not seo why a conference of reasonable men, with all the facts placed before them, should not be able to agree to a plan for the future. It was equally important to all parties that agreement should be reached along the lines that would, as he had stated, bring about rehabilitation as speedily as possible. The Labour Party was as vitally concerned as anyone else. Mr. Coates said he regretted that there had been any suggestion that Reform and United might eventually line themselves up against Labour and force through certain measures. Such a line of approach was destructive of the purpose of setting up a committee. The whole idea of the conference was to attain unanimity.