POLITICAL SITUATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18758, 11 January 1923, Page 5

POLITICAL SITUATION

REFORM PARTY’S STRENGTH LIBERAL PAPER’S VIEWS. SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. (Thom Our Own Correspondent.) 'WELLINGTON, January 10. With the arrival of several members of the Heform Party 16 Wellington to attend to-morrow’s meeting interest in the political 'situation has revived, and there are many speculations as to what, will happen when Parliament meets for the short session in February. 1 hat session will be a momentous one in the political history yf New Zealand, for the voting on a possible noconfidence motion will decide the immediate fate of the Massey Government. The New Zealand Times, which is the Liberal newspaper in the capital, already ventures the opinion that Mr Massey will win out. Its actual words are: —“One thine fairly certain is that the Government will meet the House in the coming' short session with a majority sufficient to survive any no-confidence motion.” Ihe Liberal journal, commenting on the situation, also says; —“It was the opinion of Mr Wiltord that he could form a Government which could cany on, though he was reticent concerning his plans, and he was not prepared to go into details, notwithstanding their absorbing interest to those who were closely watching the game. In the short interval since the election there has been much discussion on the situation, and some heart-searching on the part of several members who, though elected in opposition to the Government, were not satisfied to turn it out in favour of the Liberals, seeing that the latter could hold office only with the consent and assistance of Mr Holland and his 16 Labour supforters. It is taken • for granted that abour would not give its support to a Liberal Government without considerable concessions by way of return, and it is the potential danger of these concessions that, has given rise to uneasiness in the minds of some members who place' the interests of the Government above any consideration of party advantage. It might be suggested that Labour would be satisfied with several seats in a Liberal Cabinet by way of reward, but Labour would not listen to such a proposal. It will not take part in any coalition. Its policy is to be the Government, and the whole Government, or | else to remain in opposition. Those considerations have weighed strongly in the minds of some members • who, though they may bo opposed to the Massey Government, will prefer to keep it in office- rather than assist to bring into office any Administration that exists at the pleasure and dictation of Labour.” All this, coming as it does from the leading Liberal journal of the domoniou, is interesting. The Times goes on to say that it is almost certain that Mr Statham will bo appointed Speaker, but this is most probably a shot in the dark. Im any case, it is not for the Government, but for the House itself to elect its Speaker. No doubt if Mr Statham were nominated by the Government, and agreed to stand for the office, he woul.; he elected, and it would be generally admitted that he would;make a capable and impartial Speaker. Meantime the whole situation is complicated by the uncertainty that exists in regard to the Oatnaru and : Waitomo seats, and now we have also to consider Mr Parr and his strawberries and cream. SEATS IN PARLIAMENT.

Seats for the new Parliament are alreadybeing ticketed by members, and when the House meets for the short session it will present a very different aspect from that which it wore daring the past four sessions. There are, some changes of seats that may be considered as more or less significant. For instance, that shrewd politician, Mr Witty, has left the Wilford Opposition benches and crossed the gangway to the cross benches on the other side of the House. He has taken the seat formerly occupied by Mr.;- Clutha Mackenzie, and beside him, on the left, will be Mr Allan Bell, who defeated M>r Vernon Reed, the late Reform member for the Bay of Islands. Mr Bell has taken the seat formerly occupied by Hr Newman, late Reform member for Wellington Fast. A very significant alteration has a bearing upon the position of Mr Statham, the Independent member for Dunedin Central. His seat has, been “jumped” by the Official Opposition, which would seem to indicate that the breach between Mr Statham and the Wilfordites is now unbridgeable, . On the other hand, the Hon. J. A. Hanan has left his' seat on the cross benches and has taken one on the extreme left front of the Opposition. His bench-mate will be the Hon. D. Buddo, another ex-Minister. Next in order on

the front Opposition benches come Messrs Masters, Forbes, Sidey, Wilford, Veitch, and the Hon. A,. Ngata. A seat has been ticketed for Mr Macpherson (Oamaru) just behind Mr Ngata, but it is of course rot yet certain that Mr Maopherson will beable to occupy it. Messrs J. C. Thomson, and la Parrelle, the two Southland members, are in the second" row behind Messrs Honan-

and Bnfldo. Mr Poland has for his benchmate the new member. Mr Murdock, and on the other hack benches places have been, marked for Messrs Lye, Corrigan, M‘Kay, and Ransom. Mr Isitt presumably 'will retain his old sent. On the Reform side of the House some members who in the last Parliament bad perforce to sit on the cross benches, have now moved up, but the Massey party being so much more numerous than cither of the others, there are still Reform members who have to find seats on the cross benches. On the right Mr Linklater has taken the sent of Mr Vernon Reed, and Mr K. Williams and. Mr Hockly are mates on one of the back Government benches, as are also Messrs Burnett and Bitchener. The Labour Party, which mado the greatest gains in the Inst election, will form a solid phalanx on the cross benches on the left. They will fill the 17 seats that are there, and they may consider themselves enugly entrenched.