NATIONALIST PARTY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 18 June 1926, Page 5

NATIONALIST PARTY

MR FORBES RE-ELECTED • &; : •. '•-• )'■: LEADER " ■• ■ -'■■ . . ;: ATTITUDE IN PARLIAMENT .: (United PreßS Assoi iation.) '■'■ ' ; :■"} WELLINGTON,, Tliis Day. The National Party met 'to-day and Mr O W. Forbes 1 was 're-elected leader of the Mr" E. A. Ransom ■whip,.'. , '.&' , . ~". ' ' In a subsequent interview "with the press Mr Forbes -stated that tion "of the 'action v 6l the 'party'Uuring' the session, was .discussed and it was decided, owing, to .the result of the repent .election iVTr Coates with aii overwhelmingly .majority of supporters bound, to 'him by, a personal pledge it was more than ever necessary that these' members who were free and untrammelled should maintain vigilant scrutiny of the Governments' proposals and administration, so. that there should be no abuse of autocratic power placed in the hands of the Prime Minuter. The National, Party,, recognised it was vital to a continuance of the country's proposerity that there should be strict economy in the country's fimV.ncis, that land settlement should he:pushed on vigorously, and that local industries he stimulated and encouraged in.every way possible. To that end the Party would endeavour to see that the policy, was fully recognised and acted upon by the Government.-The Party realise the smallness of their numbers and in fact of the whole Opposition; and the treat majority of thY ■Government rendered their task increasingly difficult as the use of the division lobbies to emphasise the strength of any criticism was absolutely futile. The only avenue through which they could work was argument and criticism and to thai end they would devote their best energies,' leaving the;' decision and. responsibility, as it must lie, in hands of the Prime Minister who with a great majority at his back had'practically been given a dictatorship.