The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1939. The Parliamentary Session

Northern Advocate, 27 June 1939, Page 6

The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST”

TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1939. The Parliamentary Session

Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper

THE first session of New Zealand’s 26th Parliament opens to-morrow, and although it has been announced that the Government will introduce no “major legislation”—which means presumably that the economic and social fabric of the country will not for the present be shaken by any further instalments of Socialism—the debates and discussions will be even keener than before.

There will be much interest in the doings of the new members, particularly Mrs C. Stewart, who is only the second woman to enter Parliament in New Zealand, and the “team” of new Nationalist members, including notably Messrs. F. W. Doidge, J. M. Allen and A. N. Grigg, of whom great things are expected by their party. The election last October did not, of course, greatly alter the voting strength in the House, but the gains, if any, were with the Nationalists, who now have 25 on their side of the House, against 19 in the last Parliament. Labour representation has fallen from 55 to 53—not a serious reduction, but the small Independent group, which previously included two Country Party members, has been practically wiped out, only Messrs Atmore and Wilkinson surviving. Of these Mr Atmore may be expected to support Labour on a no-confidence motion, though his faith in the Government’s wisdom may have been shaken somewhat by recent events. The other Independent, Mr C. A. Wilkinson, one of the outstanding personalities in the House, will probably vote with the National Party on any broad questions of policy. If we accept the parallel between Labour’s ascendancy to-day and that of the Liberal Party between 1890 and 1911, it is of interest to trace the course of events in the latter period, from Seddon’s overwhelming ascendancy in 1893 to the defeat of the Liberals in 1911. In 1893, the Liberal Party had 62 seats out of 70 in the House. In 1896, the Liberals lost several seats, but three years later, with Seddon’s personality dominating the whole political outlook, the Liberals’ representation rose to 53, and it was not until 1908, after Seddon had died and the leadership had fallen into less inspired hands, that the Opposition managed to win more than 20 seats. The election that year, however, indicated that political sentiment was beginning to change, and in 1911 the Reform Party at last triumphed, though only by the narrowest of margins. Except during the war, when a National Government was formed, the Reform Party then dominated the scene until the United Party’s victory in 1928. Three years later came the Coalition, and four years. afterwards New Zealand elected its first Labour Government. Whether the Labour Government can retain office for a long term, as the Liberals did at the turn of the century, may depend a great deal on developments during the life of the present Parliament. At any rate, whatever his political views, every New Zealander owes it to himself and to the country to follow the proceedings of Parliament intelligently and thoughtfully, and with such impartiality as his political convictions will allow.