Fusion Negotiations Certain

NZ Truth, Issue 1018, 30 May 1925, Page 8

Fusion Negotiations Certain

Reform's First Move Prime Minister Goates Empowered to Set Up Committee Liberals Must Surely Reciprocate^— New Reform Leader , Preparing for Office— A No-Humbug Policy On Wednesday the Caucus of the Reform Party elected the Hon. J. Gordon Coates Leader of the Party, with a free hand to choose his own Ministers when he becomes Prime Minister, and with power to appoint a committee of six to confer with the Liberal-Labor Party concerning amalgamation. The Bell Ministry resigned on Thursday. But Sir Francis Bell (Prime Minister) and his other Ministers continue m the exercise of their,*duties at the request of His Excellency the Governor-General, until such time as Mr. Coates (whom the Governor-General sent for on receiving the resignation of Sir Francis Bell) is able to form a Ministry. The Coates Ministry will almost certainly not be formed at the time "Truth" goes to press, so the Bell Ministers will' be still carrying on their duties. When Mr. Coates has selected his team (possibly to-day, but more likely m the new week) he and they will repair to the Governor-General, and, on their being sworn m, the Coates Ministry will come into being. v Possibly Mr. Coates. will take with him to the GovernorGeneral the existing Ministers, no more and no less. In that case, '--, • his team (as compared with Mr. Massey's) will be numerically ' short by one, because of Mr. Massey's death. It will contain two men of indifferent health— Sir Heaton Rhodes (Minister of Defence) and Mr Guthrie (Minister without portfolio). ; If; as seems certain, fusion negotiations by committee are set up, it may be deemed best, m the meantime, to maintain the Ministerialteam just as it is. ; ■ Though negotiations would be on an entirely non-committal basis, they would yet represent a big step towards the removal of a meaningless tnree-paftyism, and their official standing would help to silence rumors of personal intrigue and of secret secessions.

There' has been a very satisfactory directness about the proceedings ol' the Reform Caucus. What was said by members! of course, "Truth" does not know, and does not .pretend to know; but there is a pleasing nohumbug' ring about the decisions and resolutions. The Reform Caucus, indeed, appears to have acted with just that directness that "Truth" was hoping for when, m last week's issue it suggested that negotiations for fusion-*---through the mediumship of committees — could easily >be set on foot if both sides were nationally-minded. Last week "Truth" wrote: "There are various ways m which the ice could be broken as between the Reform and the Liberal-Labor Parties. Each side might appoint a committee, with power, to find a common platform (probably not a huge task), or (m lieu of amalgamation) a common campaign plan. Means would present themselves if once the ice were broken. What we have just written we have written as from a national point ' of view. National interests can be served by a straight- forward plan. Unfortunately, the same cannot always be said of party and personal interests." . Let us now hasten to add that, m eleoting — with practical unanimity — Mr. Gordon Coates as Leader, and m empowering him to set up a committee of six members of the Party to confer with representatives of the Liberal - Labor Party with a view to amalgamation, the Reform Caucus has done all that national interests at this stage dictate. . The Path Never So Open. ■; In electing Mr. , Coates and m. empowering him to appoint a negotiating committee the Reform Caucus — "Truth" sincerely hopes — has found both the man and the means. Never before has the path to union/ of the two Parties — that is, to removal of a distinction that, is unbacked by a substantial difference — appeared so broad and so open. When the Liberal-Labor v Party is officially informed that the new Reform/Leader (the Prime Minister designate) has been empowered to elect such a committee, the LiberalLabor Party will evidently have no other course (and will surely seek no other course) than to reciprocate. And the fact that official negotiations will then be set on foot between the. two Parties — however ~ non-committal the basis may be — will be a very big step forward towards a more rational classification of politicians, and an avoidance of triangular positions] that are not only meaningless m principle but are also confusing to the elector. "Truth" is not assuming that the committees have only to meet m order to agree. And (as its quoted comment of last week shows) "Truth" is well aware that there are more difficulties to overcome than difficulties of principle. Still, we repeat that it is a big advance that the Reform Party has proposed a fair- method of examining the gap — a method that the Liberal-Labor Party will liot (cannot) refuse to entertain. • . And m, this connection importance must be attached to the terms of the telegram m which Mr. Wilford congatulates Mri Coates on having, received "the highest possible gift m our political' life." Mr. Wilford adds: "For the first time m the history of the Dominion two New Zealanders born hold the positions of Prime Minister, ; and Leader of the Opposition. Under such circumstances I, am sure that m Imperial matters we can work hand m hand. — (Signed) Thomas M. Wilford.". No Underground Methods. Even while the resolution of the Reform Caucus m favour, of negotiation was being printed, /the same chronicler reported a rumour of ; a subterranean slide of six Liberals. The words used were to 'the effect that "advances" \to the Reform Party "had been made by. .half .a' dozen Liberals who had repented of the fact that they had ever adopted the Liberal color." In the present crisis m the fates of Parties, nothing could be more prejudicial to above-board negotiations than the existence of under-the-table compacts based on "ratting." But surely the directness and candour of the Reform Caucus go as far .as anything could possibly go. to negate the report . of the slide of . the six. If six Liberals were ''rushing to find a back way into the Reform kitchen, would Reform be- entering into a- difficult series of negotiations m order to: admit the Liberals by the front door? The Reform proposal m itself suggests Liberal solidarity. It suggests clean methods on N the Reform, side,, and .it tends .to remove any

temptation on anybody's part to resort to any other sort of method.

I The new prospect of negotiation-by-committee strengthens "Truth" m its previous remark that, as "the prospect ■of bringing together the Reform and the Liberal-Labor Parties is so fair," it is to be hoped that "the Lib-eral-Labor Party will abstain from presenting a candidate for the Franklin seat." Observe that ,the Reform Leader's committee of six will be composed of men outside the Cabinet. Apparently, the idea of choosing non-Ministers is to protect Ministers from embarrassing situations. If Ministers are the best men m a party, then it may be that Reform's six second-best will confer with Liberal-Labor's half-dozen best. Some critics may object that this makes for inequality, but the 0000000000000000000000000 o o