NOT FAVOURED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24032, 1 August 1941, Page 8

NOT FAVOURED

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT NO HELP TO WAR EFFORT OPINION OF MR. NASH (K.K.) WKLIJXdTOX, Thursday "! confirm now on behalf ot the Government —though I have to bo a bit reticent until the Prime Minister gets back —that, whatever road it is necessary to travel to achieve the maximum

war effort, that road i will go and that road the Government will go," said the acting-Prime .Minister, the Hon. W. Nash, when discussing national unity during his speech in the House tonight.

I "1 say with some humility and some ! reluctance that at the moment I don't j see that a National Government can do j that," he added. "It is on account of what (he Opposition has done during j the last six months that it is next door ' to impossible to have a National Gov- | merit. General Election Question | "The issuo> ot this war are so great ; that if a National Government is i necessary to extend the war effort, then ; I am in favour of it. but I don't ho- | lieve that a National Government j would extend our war effort, f am sorry that I don't." "I don't want to talk much about elections," Mr. Nash continued. "We have on several occasions invited the Loader of the Opposition to join the War Cabinet Mr. Holland: Would that increase the war effort'f Mr. Nash: If you came in with an open mind and stopped underhand ' criticism T think it would. Way to Avoid Election | "I ain not goi.ng to say whether j there will bo an election or not —it i would have to ho by consent —but_ it i might bo possible to avoid an election ! if there was complete unity in the War | Cabinet," said Mr. Nash. "If f am hero j and an election comes round I cannot ; give much time to it." Mr. W. J. Poison (Opposition Ptratj ford): You went to Waitemata. ! Mr. Nash: Yes. T went for three days. I f have only been absent- from Wellington for four days in six months, and it ! has meant that I hare had to work later." _ , I "What you say, then, is that if there is not a National Government, and the Leader of the Opposition joins the War Cabinet you will save an election?" asked Mr. F. W. Doidge (Opposition—Tauranga;. Mr. Fraser to Decide "I not say that," replied Mr. Nash," but if the Leader of the Opposition jrtins the War Cabinet there will he a better chance of unity in this country." Tn answer to another question. Mr. Nash said that the Prime Minister, the Tit. Hon. P. Fraser. had promised that ho would study the existing circumstances in the United Kingdom, the Middle East and in America, and when he came back he would weigh them up and decide what would be best. He could not say when Mr. Fraser would be back, but- he thought it would be some time next month. Repeated Invitation Earlier, Air. Nash said that offer after offer had been made by the Government to the Leader of the Opposition to join the War Cabinet, the one place where he could help, but he had not come. A Government Member: He doesn't want to. "Let us be fair." replied Mr. Nash. "The only reason is that he wants to indulge in party politics. He is convieterl out of his own mouth because he says that if he comes into the War j Cabinet he will be leg-ironed. Leg-j ironed for what? Mr. Poison: You want everybody to j be leg-ironed but yourself.