FEDERAL POLITICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21757, 23 March 1934, Page 8

FEDERAL POLITICS

Recent utterances of Dr. Earle Page, Leader of the United Country Party in the Federal Parliament, have led to the assumption that the coming session, which opens in July, might see an election forced because the United Australia. Party has a very narrow margin of strength over the combined voting power of the Country Party, the two Labour groups and the independents. The general secretary of the United Australia Party declares, however, that while it is necessary to be ready for an election at any time, there is no reason at present to suppose that one will come before the normal time, that is, in February or March of next year. The coming session is expected to last until the middle of October, when there will be an adjournment for the visit of Prince George. It is not anticipated that Parliament will again assemble. It may be on account of these circumstances that the Country Party \a now intensifying criticism of the Government policy,'' particularly in regard to tariff revision and taxation. Even among those who usually have lent a sympathetic ear to the complaints of Dr. Earle Page, there is at present no whole-hearted support of his attitude. There is a tendency to review his charges in the light of the grave difficulties which facftd the Lyons Ministry upon its assumption of office, to recall the time required to reorganise the finances of the whole country through the Premiers' Conference and to point to the heavy revenue requirements of the subsidies upon primary production which the Country Party demanded. Mr. Lyons claims that his Government has discharged its obligations in the matter of tariff revision, to which practically the whole of the last session was devoted. "Under the British preferential tariff," he has stated, "215 items have been reduced and under the general tariff 1*76 have been reduced. Primage over tho whole range of the protective portion of the tariff has been reduced from 10 to 5 per cent, while reductions in all protective British preferential duties have been made on account of the protective influence of exchange." But the Country Party is no more satisfied than it was last year, nor is it likely to be. At the same time, it is using the present opportunity to justify its isolationist policy, to show that the march of events has proved its wisdom in refusing to share the responsibilities of Government without definite assurances on the matter of policy. It is indicated in authoritative quarters, however, that a more conciliatory course might be pursued under other leadership—that of Mr. Bruce or Mr. Stevens for instance. It is common knowledge that Mr. Lyons has no particular liking for high office. The Federal political problem is bound up in the three-party system. What chance there is for escape from it only the future can tell.