WHAT WILL THEY DO WITH IT?

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 10, 11 December 1931, Page 10

WHAT WILL THEY DO WITH IT?

AS the result of the appeal to the people the Coalition Government has received in a measure the mandate it asked for, to take whatever steps in its wisdom it may consider necessary to safeguard the Dominion in the present critical state of affairs. It is a work that will test whatever powers of statesmanship Ministers possess to the full, and no one will envy them their task. “We could only inform the electors that our policy would be to secure sound finance and balance the Budget, these things being the most urgent,” said Mr. Forbes when the election returns were in. “We asked all sections of the people to bear any additional burdens that might be placed on them in our efforts to achieve sound finance and a clear endorsement has been given by the people.” Meanwhile the people are left to wonder what form these additional burdens will take and just how heavy they will be. As far as quality goes, the new Parliament differs but little from the last. The House will be the poorer through the loss of that indomitable little fighter, Mr. Fletcher, of Grey Lynn, which has returned to its Labour allegiance. The sole Labour casualty is Mr. Lee Martin, one of the moderates, whom Raglan has rejected. Of the new members Mr. A. D. McLeod is best remembered for his pessimism as regards land settlement when he was Minister in the Coates Cabinet. Of the three parties Labour polled the largest vote, though it left uncontested 20 of the 76 European seats. The figures were : Labour, 229,884 ; Reform, 202,132 ; United, 140,149. The Labour vote was swelled at this election by many malcontents who have scant sympathy with the Labour policy, but wished to cast a vote against the Government. But making allowance for that, the rise in the Labour voting strength is

significant, in view of the fact that the current elsewhere is setting strongly against Labour. Never having been in power in the Dominion save in partnership with the Liberals, it has no sins of commission to answer for, and a Labour Government in the near future is thus more than a possibility. The expressed hope of Mr. Coates on election night that the Labour party might yet see its way to join in forming a real National Government representative of all sections of Parliament will be echoed by many who think party warfare out of place in a time like the present. It would be a graceful act on the part of Mr. Forbes to issue a formal invitation in terms that would give the Labour party its fair share of Cabinet representation. If the offer were rejected the Government would be only where it is now, if it were accepted any Government measures would have the whole weight of Parliament behind them. Unfortunately the offer seems as unlikely to be made as it is to be accepted if it were.