COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18223, 17 October 1922, Page 6

COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

The Federal general election will take place about the middle of December, the normal time. Although it has survived the full term, the National Government has not had an easy passage and cannot olaim to have carried out the whole of its legislative programme. The last session has been marked with motions of censure and challenges from the Labour Party and the

Country Party, which caused mora than ordinary anxiety to the Ministry in view of the uncertain attitude of a number of dissatisfied Nationalists. Foremost among these is Mr. W. A. Watt, who resigned the portfolio of Commonwealth Treasurer owing to differences with Mr. Hughes. The first attack came from Labour when Supply was under consideration, the burden of the motion being " callous administration, dislocation of industry, and unemployment." During the next two weeks three more censure motions had to be faced. One of these, which gave a serious setback to the Ministry, was in regard to the appointment of a director of the Amalgamated Wireless Company. Then came fierce war over the sugar administration and the quarrel over the redistribution of seats. The Nationalist stronghold has never been secure, too unsafe certainly for anything approaohing bold action. Its total strength, including the Speaker, is nominally 38 members. The Labour Party has 24 members and the Country Party 13. Probably a split in the Country Party has been to the advantage of the Government. Mr. Hughes, whose ability for making personal enemies has increased his troubles, stands between two extremes. The- Labour Party assails him as a defender of capital; the Country Party denounces him because " by his con-

duct he has given no evidence that he is willing to depart from his ■ ostensible policy of the general nationalisation of industry," because he is " a political opportunist " and because his outlook on national finance is " hopeless." Recently Mr. Hughes announced that he had made overtures to the Country Party for a coalition, offering it two or three portfolios, but they had been rejected. He repeated his offer but Dr. Earle Page, the leader of the party, would have none of it. Thus the contest in December will again see three parties in the field, with tihe possibility of some candidates of a revived Liberal Party in Victoria. Among the independent candidates will be Mr. Watt. The issue, therefore, is obscure, but from the trend of recent events there appears to be small chance of Labour gaining possession of the field.