PARTY LOYALTY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1928, Page 1

PARTY LOYALTY

MIC FORBES' TALKS TO REFORMERS.

AVELLINGTON,- July 11

The manner in which certain: members of the Reform Party voted on a critical division on last year’s Licensing Amendment Bill was cited by Mr G. W. Forbes (Hurunui) in the House of Representatives to-day as a reason why that side of the House.should not talk too much about’loyalty. • -Mr i Forbes first defined his position in the Party with- Which ho is associated in the Ho-uso. “Speakers from the Government benches,” said Mr Forbes, “have made a joke about the United Party not having a leader or a policy. As far as the National-Party is concerned, I don’t think there is any question regarding leadership. I am the leader of the National Party in the House.”

The Minister for Health (Air Young) It is about the leadership of the United Party ' that questions have been asked.

-Mr Forbes repeated that lie was the leader of the National Party. The Minister for Health.: That is not disputed. Air Forbes, referring to tbe voting on the .motion in committee last session that progress be reported on the Licensing Bill, added : “If tho Prime Afinister had any right to ask for the loyalty of his Party and his Alinisters, he had it in regard to the business of the House.”

The Afinister for Health: It was not

a Party issue. Air Veitch (Wanganui) : Oh, yes.

Continuing, Air Forbes said that the -Minister for Health had enquired whether the motion to report progress meant “leave to- sit again,” and the Prime Minister had intimated that that was his intention.

“Apparently that was not enough for the Afinister for Health,” declared Air Forbes. “Even though the whole matter had been transferred to a question of procedure of the House, lie considered it clearly his (Air Young’s) duty to go into the opposite lobby to his leader. I don’t know what is regarded as loyalty by members of tbe ATinistry to tbe Primo Afinister, but I thought be could have relied on tlicm to that extent. I do not remember a previous occurrence like that in this House. If it had not been for tho votes of myself and some others; tho Prime Afinister might have been sitting in that committee clmi.r to this day. I should say it is just as ,w«ll for Alinisters and members to remain silent on the question of loyalty.” The member for Tcmuka (Air T. D. Burnett) was next taken to task for a statement fie made in an interview in the south just after the session concerning his attitude on the licensing question. ATr F-orbes quoted Mr Burnett as having said: “I yield to no one in my allegiance to the Reform Party, or in my appreciation of the magnificent work that Party has done for tho Dominion, hut when firmness in a Prime Minister degenerates into obstinacy, and is cutting right across the expressed will of the people, I have seriously to consider my position in regard to the Party and the Government.”

‘ “Mr Burnett,” continued Mr Forbes, “is looked upon as one of the loyal members of the Reform Part}’, and that is wlrnt ho says. They seem to look-upon the Prime Minister almost ns the Chinese look upon a joss. If the Chinese are offended with the joss, they pull it down and jump on it. If they are pleased with it, they put it up again. I don’t know what the Prime Minister may think of it, but I would certainly think, if I were he, that the Party had not lieen loyal to me in the way I had a right to expect.’’

“If,” added Mr Forbes, “the present Govternment remains in office much longer, it will cause very great dissatisfaction, throughout the country. There is no doubt that at the present time the country does not look on it as a sound and solid Government, and many of the people who were supporters of the late Mr Massey are apprehensive at the policy that it is pursuing.”