THE FEDERAL CABINET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21068, 30 December 1931, Page 8

THE FEDERAL CABINET.

With the dramatic episode of the Federal general election now virtually ended, Mi\ Lyons is busy selecting his Cabinet, ; The possibilities of his choice seem to be exciting <i good deal ol interest in the country, as is natural Yet there is surely something artificial in.the controversy about .giving the Country Party represent at ion in the Ministry. It is true the United Australia Party lias an absolute majority, can stand alone, and, on paper, needs the support of nobody when the House meets again. That also was the position of Ihe Conservatives in Great Britain after the general election. Yet the Conservatives neither demanded nor received all the Cabinet appointments. Actually, in proportion to numbers, they arc under-represented. The National Government in Britain appealed to Iho country for a mandate to do the work for which it was formed, to restore the finances and endeavour to reestablish industry. There was no question of party quotas in the Cabinet, no argument about leadership. Everything was subordinated to the programme which was declared essential to the wellbeing of the nation. So literally was this principle accepted that the Prime Minister belongs to the smallest group in the Government and in Parliament, but his right to lead has not been challenged. Though conditions in the Federal election were not quite the same, the logic, of the position has been reasonably stated- by those members of the Country Party who point out that they were elected to support a definite programme agreed upon before the election, and that the duty of supporting it is much more important than any question of dividing offices in the Cabinet. It: is important that such a view should prevail. The campaign was conducted on the basis of the policy being more important than party, of unity in face of national needs being paramount. On that basis it was won. If immediately afterwards there arises serious argument about place and preferment, the genuineness of the appeal will be brought into question. Tt was an appeal that could be made genuinely and that deserved the response it awoke ; but an anti-climax like a dispute over portfolios would prevent its ever succeeding again, even if the need for it were as great as at present.