AUSTRALIAN POLITICS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 24 October 1940, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS

WAR ADVISORY COUNCIL PRESS CRITICISM OF LABOUR (UFA -By Electric Telegraph-Copyright) (Received 24th October, 1.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The “Telegraph” in a leader say* the War Advisory Council which the Federal political parties has set up as a pitiful substitute for a National War Administration, is a deep disappointment to the Australian people. Labour had its part in this fiasco by first refusing to join a National Cabinet or at least an executive War Council, but it is true more ffiight have been done by the Government to make Labour supporters (half the people living In this country) feel that there really was a co operative spirit abroad. Tangible policy proposals were put forward by the Australian Labour Party. None was accepted and some generalities were proffered in return by the too contented Mr Menzies. The “Herald” strongly criticises Labour’s attitude at the conference and Mr Curtin’s weak leadership, and says unity negotiations failed because Labour feared to jeopardise its partycohesion by participation in a National Government. It placed party unity above national unity and on that preference it must stand condemned. Labour’s abject failure to rise to a great occasion is more discreditable in that its own resolutions of last week stressed “the grave and perilous situation” wherein Australia stands, and urged the need for co-operation to enable the new Parliament to function effectively.