LETTERS READ

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 16 October 1941, Page 6

LETTERS READ

NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN PARTIES j OPPOSITION'S ATTITUDE j | Stating that he thought it proper j that the people should be in possession j ol the correspondence, the Prime Min- ! [ ister (Mr Fraser) read the letters ex- j changed between him and the Leader] ol the Opposition. The first letter was dated 7th October, and was from Mr ; Fraser to Mr Holland, and the last let-j ter. also to Mr Holland, bore yes ter- | In his first letter Mr Fraser sought I from Mr Holland the Opposition attitude if the Government, on his recoin- | mendation, introduced a war-time mea- j sure extending the life of Parliament for a year. Mr Fraser also advised Mr ' Holland that the question of including him m the War Cabinet would again be j readily reopened if he and the Opposi- | tion thought such a step would be beneficial to the country’s war effort. I 11 this step was not considered advisable by the Opposition, Mr Fraser said he would be prepared to give most favourable consideration to any other course such as consultation, involving access to confidential information, on important war questions when they arise which would be likely to promote greater unity and co-operation in the country’s war effort. Mr Holland replied udder date of Bth October, stating that the only thing that i« unted with the Opposition was what v.as best for New Zealand and the Empire; this was no time for sectional interests and political manoeuvres. The attitude of the Opposition, as it had been consistently since the outbreak of war, was that it considered that a postponement of the elections should be accompanied by the formation of a non-party government, so , that the responsibility for this and j other difficult questions caused by the ! war might be shared by a united gov- | eminent and not by any one party. So long as the Government Party remain- 1 :

led unable or unwilling to form a nonj this.*as in all other questions. Mr 1101-I:ind I:ind continued, carry the responsibil- ! ity for whatever legislation was introj mate know loci.if.* of circumstances, j Mr Fraser decided to introduce such a the Opposition, as a minority party, j j would have to accept the position and ! | submit to the passage of the necessary j legislation, but the Opposition would ' ! retain its view that such a postpone j ; ment should lie accompanied by a de_ j eision to drop party polities for the j j duration of the war by forming a non- I party Government. Mr Holland added j that lie was willing and anxious to ! I undertake any special tasks involving i i war work without payment of any 1 i kind, but he could not see in what way ‘jo. would increase New Zealand’s war ' effort by merely adding to the size of ’ the War Cabinet from five to seven to M make room for another member from | each party. He presumed a postpone—- ’ | ment of the elections would mean that * i no contentious legislation would be in- : troduced, or virtually that legislation ; and regulations would only be passed 1 : with the concurrence of the Opposition. If the postponement proposal ■ were put into operation he would be pleased to make suggestions for conj sideration with a view to promoting j harmony which was so essential to a full contribution to the Empire's war effort “What a hopeless letter. Minority l dictatorship,” commented Mr .1 A. Lee ! (Democratic Labour. Grey Lynn). j To this letter, Mr Eraser, on 9th Oc- \ tober. replied that he could not ascer- ’ I l ;, in from its perusal whether the Op ' j position would oppose or support a t i measure which might be introduced by the Government for the purpose of ex- * tending the life of Parliament for one I year. "You state.” Mr Eraser proceedi j ed, "that the Opposition 'would have I to accept the position and submit to the passage of the necessary legisla- [ I tion,’ but ‘acceptance’ or ‘submission’ does not indicate support or preelude ' opposition.” Mr Fraser said he would be assisted personally if Mr Holland j would inform him definitely whether ( the Opposition would support or oppose * such a measure as lie had indicated so [ that lie could explain the exact position I to the Labour Party caucus. Any 1 statement affirming the Opposition’s adherence to a non-party Government would, of course, b* a matter for Mr Holland’s discretion in the circumstances. A promise not to introduce any contentious legislation for the per. | ! iod of the extension simply could not, i in the very nature of the Parliamen- | | (ary position, be honoured, but Mr j Fraser said ho would be personally i willing to undertake that his influence : as leader of the Government would be i used to reduce legislation on purely • party lines to a minimum for the per- ' i iod mentioned. “I could not possibly I agree ‘that legislation and regulations i would only be passed with the concurrence of the Opposition’ as that would I amount to Government by the Opposi- | tion,” Mr Fraser continued. “I would he obliged if you could reply to my in— On 13th October Mr Holland replied, slating that he would endeavour to remove any doubts as to the attitude of i the Opposition on the General Elec- ; tion question. If the Government intro- : duced a measure to postpone the General Election for one year, he undertook ] that no member of the Opposition ] would oppose such a measure and in j t he event of a division being called | for all members of the Opposition would vote for the Bill, provided that before the introduction of the Bill he had received from Mr Fraser the same i undertaking on behalf of the Govern- [ ment Party. Concerning contentious legislation, Mr Holland said he retained the opinion that there should be no such legislation during the period of the extension. In all the circumstances he submitted as a reasonable proposal that Mr Fraser should undertake to consult [the Opposition concerning any such proposed legislation, before its introduction, to permit of appropriate representations being made. | The concluding letter received by Mr [Holland from Mr Fraser enclosed a copy |of the Prolongation of Parliament Bill ! providing for the extension of the term of the present House of Representatives j for one year. “The Government Party | will support the measure,” the letter concluded.