THE OPPOSITION'S BOGEY MAN. Why they Haven't Got a Policy.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 182, 26 December 1903, Page 6

THE OPPOSITION'S BOGEY MAN. Why they Haven't Got a Policy.

AT last the cat is out of the bag. From time to time people have found fault with His Majesty's Opposition for placing- no distinct and definite policy before the country. Like Brer Rabbit, in. Uncle Remus's story, they have lam low and "sed nuffin' " But, they won't be misunderstood any longer. The leader of the Opposition has spoken, and now we know all about it At the banquet tendered to Mr. Massey, m Auckland, last week, he took the opportunity to give an answer to the suggestion so frequently made that the Opposition should put a policy before the country * * + His answer was that the proper time for that was at a general election, and when that interesting event comes off the long-expected policy would be forthcoming. Well — let us see — there have been just four genelal elections since the present party got into power twelve years ago, and each Parliament has run its full course oi three years, and yet the Opposition haven't once, so far as we can remember, put a policy before the country. Can it b& that their inventive faculties have been all that t" me wool-gathering ? Or were they too bashful or nervous about it 2 Perhaps, it was timidity lntei^fied by excessive caution Mr Massey, at last week's ba.nquet, asked "If they put forth a policy now, what would happen 1 ?" And Mr Monk eagerly piped m with the answer "Seddon would prig it." So King Dick is admittedly the bogey man of the Opposition He is for ever roaming round, like a thief in the night, searching the OpjDosition c'othes-hnes for some garments to "prig" and wear And the Opposition, to follow the same metaphor out, is like a fearful boy who owns a new suit, but lies abed rather than put it on for fear the terrible bogey man should seize and strip him of ifThe leader of the Opposition furmshes a few instances to justify the fears that worry his party Last session, for instance, he ventured the remarkable opinion that the Legislative Council system was not working satisfactorily Behold the result ' Two days afterwards the Premier got up and said the Legislative Council must be ended or mended A clear case of cause and effect, you see. Still, if our memory does not play us false, that has been one of the shibboleths of the Liberal Party time out of mmd Sir George Grey was for ever harping upon that string Mr Ballance played upon it to popular applause. Sir John McKenzie gave it with fortissimo effects King Dick himself has made it his old familiar tune. No air has been more constantly drummed m upon the ears of the people Yes, the Legislative Council will have to l-e either mended or ended A Chamber of nominees sitting above the representatives of the people can-

rot endure in a democratic country. IeI c it is to suivive, then unquestionably it must be made elective * i- * But, harking back to the mam issue — the want of an Opposition policy — surely the Opposition are patriots rather than place-seekeis? And if they have a policy which they honestly believe will save the colony fiom impending dangers, or will confer immense advantages upon it, will they not rejoice to see it adopted, e\ en by their political opponents, rather than have New Zealand deprived of it until a change of Administration can take place ? Of course, if it is only a bid for place and power the case is quite different. At any rate, the Opposition may well ask themselves whether they could have done themselves any harm by bringing out a policy m less time tli an fourteen 'years If they have a new suit waiting for the next holiday, let them put it on at once, so that we may see what kind of garb it h. Their bogey-man has always had a plentiful wardrobe of his own.