THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1908. POLITICAL ALLIANCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14355, 27 October 1908, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1908. POLITICAL ALLIANCES.

The return from England of Mr Kidston, the Premier of Queensland, lias been speedily followed toy a dramatic denouement. The situation in State politics had developed along lines very similar to those that have already been followed in Now South Wales and Victoria. In each of these States the political Labour party now constitutes the direct Opposition in Parliament. Tho situation cannot in either case be said to have, been of the Labour party's choosing. On th« contrary, it was distinctly forced upon it. Iu New South Wale/ Sir J. 11. Carrnthers provided places in the Government, after the general election of last! year, for both Messrs Waddell and Perry, who had

held portfolios- in tho See Ministry, which was displaced by tho present Administration, and in Victoria Sir A. J. Peacock and Mr Maekinnon made common cause with Sir Thomas lient against the Labour party. In each State, ns a consequence, the Labour members were compelled to become the official Opposition.. In neither instance, however, were the conditions so unpromising as they were in Queensland for a fusion of the saner elemeuts in tho Legislature in the interests of settled government. Mr Kidston's personal predilections, it may bo conjectured, would have been in favour of the adoption of some plan of action in pursuance of which the Ministry and the Labour party might have united their forces, For he was distinctly less out of sympathy with the feelings and aspirations of the Labour representatives than ho was with the views held and expressed by the Opposition party under Mr Philp. The Labour party has, however, been so unreasonable that Mr Kidston with most of his supporters has been driven into an alliance with the Opposition. Before he left for England Mr -Kidston absolutely broke off his relations with the Labour party, and the possibility of his coming to terms with it was not improved during his absence. In fact, as he has frankly stated, "the situation had become impossible." But, unless the State was to be tho theatre, of another series of political crises such as those which were witnessed there last year, it was necessary that a modus vivendi should be established between two out of the three parties which were in existence. Tho Ministerial party in Parliament comprised twenty-five membors; the Opposition was also composed of twenty-five members; and the Labour party was twenty-two strong. Tho conditions were such as might readily have led to a complete paralysis of parliamentary business, and while) in the circumstances, a reorganisation-of parties was clearly an object- worthy of the aim of tho political leaders, it is a matter for congratulation that events have so fallen out that an alliance has been found to -be possible between the parties which lipid tho more moderate views, and that, as a natural sequence, the extremists are to be isolated in Queensland and, as they have been in New South Wales and Victoria, compelled to become- the official Opposition. It is- to be confessed that there may be some reason, to doubt whether .the duties which ah Opposition, if it is to be an Opposition worthy of the name, is called, upon to perform may be expected to be performed) altogether satisfactorily by a Labour party. An obligation is. laid upon an Opposition under the party system as it exists in British Parliaments to scrutinise keenly and to criticise wherever necessary the proposals, of whatever kind, that are submitted by the Government avid a party with a' somewhat'. restricted political outlook may .conceivably, be not sufficiently' alive to tho responsibilities which are imposed upon His Majesty's Opposition. The. clanger to the body politic from this cause is) however, not comparable with that which would be incurred if the Labour party in the Legislature held the balance of power and was consequently enabled, as. the-. Labour party has been, and is still, in the Legislature of the Australian Commonwealth, to dictate terms to any Ministry that was content to hold office in dependence upon tho support of an irresponsible faction. If is instructive, at anyrate, that the solution which was applied in New South .Wales and Victoria, to the proMem. presented in each ease by the appearance of si political Labour party as a disturbing factor in the State Legislature, has now been'applied also in Queensland. The circumstance is not without interest in New Zealand. A Political Labour League which has been .brought, into ('existence in''this Dominion is hopeful of winning in time such a position, of influence and power as the Federal Labour party has gained in Australia. Wo are not disposed to think that there is even the slenderest foundation for the supposir tipn, where it exists, that the direct nominees of this party will, capture any seats at the forthcoming elections. But the House of Representatives lias contained for several years past a knot of members whose views are not appreciably less extreme than those of the candidates supported by the Political Labour League. In the Parliament which is expiring there were twelve or fourteen membors who, forming part of t|ie Ministerial '-party and actually including more than one Cabinet Minister, voted in favour of frankly Socialistic proposals. And it- is unquestionably the aim of these members to drag tho Government after them as far as they possibly can in the direction of their Socialistic ' ideal. ThoPrime Minister's declaration that- it is now .time that the country should have a rest from legislation may be justly viewed as an intimation to them that he is personally averse to the empiricism they favour. lint tlje impression obtains among thorn", and those of like opinion as themselves, that if they are persistent enough they may succeed in wringing out of the Government one concession after another which will carry them, nearer to the attainment of their political goal. As an illustration of this wo need only mention that one of the candidates on behalf of the Political Labour League, when asked a

few nights ago 1 whether, if elected, lie would support the Opposition in a party division, replied promptly in the negative for the reason, as lie said, that the Government was more ''squeezable" than the Opposition. Wlmt must be desired in this country by people of moderate pud sane views is the uprising of' a strong, national party which will bet capable of resisting pressure from extremists, And the. best way probably in which the community may express its strong conviction of the necessity for discouraging and discountenancing a policy of "squeezing" will bo to secure the return to Parliament of candidates who stand in the interests of the party that is recognised to be so faithful to its principles that it cannot be "squeezed."