MINORITY RULE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23053, 2 June 1938, Page 15

MINORITY RULE

LABOUR GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST CLAIM BY HON. P. FRASER [BT TELEGRAPH SPECIAL BEFORTER] TAURANGA, Wednesday A comparison of minority votes under which past and the present New Zealand Governments had entered into office was given by the Minister of Education, the Hon. P. Fraser, addressing an audience of over 500 in the Tauranga Town Hall to-night. He contended that from 1912 to the present time 110 Government had been returned on a clear majority vote of the electors. "We are told by our opponents that the present Government did not gain a majority of the votes polled at the last election," Mr. Frsser said. "That is quite true, but the Labour Government is not singular in that respect. Although the party polled a very substantial majority over its strongest opponent, it is correct that, taking into consideration the votes given to tho National Party, the Democrats and the Independents, Labour would have to face a minority of about 50,000 votes." However, that was nothing to the minorities upon which other Governments had been elected. It was a matter of historical accuracy that the Reform Party, which was in power from 1912 to 1928, never had a majority of electors' \lotes during the whole period, while the United Party, when it assumed office, was in a similar position.

"Under our present system of election and representation, the Labour Gorernment has the same right to carry on with a minority vote as other Governments did," Mr. Fraser added. "However, I am not going to claim that this is absolutely satisfactory, and Labour will come before the people in the expectation of a large majority in support of its policy of sure progress for the people."