A FEEBLE OPPOSITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18612, 21 July 1922, Page 6

A FEEBLE OPPOSITION

LACK OF DASH. (Fbou Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON. July 20. Reform members of the House w-ere amused to-day to hear one of their number telling the Opposition that it ought to bo able to criticise the Government ever so much more effectively, and even offering a little ammunition to bo fired by the enfeebled Opposition forces. The speaker was Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs), who seemed much concerned about the falling off in spirit and dash displayed by the Government’s critics. By some means or other, said the member, the Government seemed to have hypnotised the Opposition. The criticism levelled at the Government wag most moderate, Mr Massey: Ruerilc. Mr Wright remembered that when the present Government was in Opposition and the Address-in-Reply debate would be extremely warm all through, the Government would 1)0 attacked right and left. The present Opposition seemed to him most generous to the Government, yet there were on the Opposition benches enough members to put up a formidable fight. When thp present Prime Minister had only 27 supporters in 1903 he marie a very good showing in every debate, because his supporters, one after the other, attacked (ho Government from different angles. The present Opposition did not light like the Oppositions of former times. A Reform Member; Oh, they do thenbest. Mr Wright declined to believe even that they could he doing their best. Ho was puzzled to know the reason for their weakness. He ventured to say that if they liked they could attack the Government must strongly on some of tho appointments to the Legislative Council. Ho was satisfied that quite strong criticism could bo offered on that score, and that it would be helpful to the Government, as inchoating what the feeling was concerning some appointments. Mr Massey: Tell ns some of them. Mr Wright: That’s not my job. It’s the place of tho Opposition to do that. When I was a member of tho Opposition I took my part along with tho others in attacking the then Government. It is not my role now.