ELECTION ISSUE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24696, 27 August 1941, Page 6

ELECTION ISSUE

SURVEY OF PROSPECTS POSTPONEMENT UNLIKELY POLITICAL CHASM WIDENED (0.C.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 26. On his return to New Zealand, the Prime Minister, Mr P. Fraser, will have to decide two major political issues, whether there will be a National Government and whether there will be an election. The Acting Prims Minister, Mr W; Nash, has already promised that a statement will be made by Mr Fraser on the floor of the House, and as the day of Mr Fraser’s return approaches interest in both questions is certain to increase. The indications are that the House will not conclude its business for the present session until the end of September, and it cannot sit beyond November 1 without an extension of its life being granted. Government’s Attitude The formation of a National Government does not seem a possibility at the moment. The chasm between the Government and the Opposition his widened since the session began in March, and unity is further away than at any stage in the past 12 months. The Government’s feelings were expressed when Mr Nash made his reply to the Budget debate on July 31. He then said that he could not see that a National Government would be possible and that it was on account of what the Opposition had done in the last six months that it was next door to impossible to have such a Government. More recent events in the House are unlikely to have softened the which Mr Nash then expressed, and it has to be remembered that when Mr Fraser returns Mr Nash will be the Minister most closely associated with him in conference to express the views of Labour members on the question of, an election. Mr Nash also said in his reply to the Budget debate, that if the Leader of the Opposition, Hr S. G. Holland, joined the War Cabinet there would be a better chance of unity in the country. Mr Holland has not joined the War Cabinet. In fact, no invitation since that given him when he was appointed Leader of the Opposition has been extended. Mr Holland has admitted that when he was appointed Leader of the Opposition he was invited to join the Cabinet, but he declined because he felt that he would be “ leg-ironed.” The main argument used by the Opposition when it decided on a change of leadership was that Mr Adam Hamilton could not be a member of the War Cabinet and at the same time efficiently lead the National Party in the House and in general politics. * Invitation Not Repeated The invitation given to Mr Holland has not been repeated, and the debates in the House have not contributed towards any easing of the tension between the parties. Although some members of the Labour Party hold the belief that the Prime Minister, on his return from Great Britain, will endeavour to convince the Labour caucus that a National Government must be formed, there is every indication that such a proposal will meet with opposition. Organisations outside the parliamentary party have declared, in the main, their opposition to any fusion with the National Party, and, taken as a whole, it appears that the Labour Party is not prepared to. join with the National Party because of the extreme fundamental differences on domestic policy, although both parties are equally sincere in' the desire to contribute to the war effort. Leadership of Opposition

Since Mr Holland - was elected leader, several members of the Opposition have shown their disinclination to work wholeheartedly with the party, and the feelings of some members to the present leadership have become too open to escape attention. As a team, the Opposition has not functioned smoothly during this ses--31 Although much will depend on Mr Fraser’s views and their influence on his caucus, the prospects at the moment are that an election will be held and that the campaign will not extend beyond three weeks. The only reason that can be advanced at present for any extension of the life of Parliament. discarding altogether the possibility of a National Government being formed, is that the holding of a general election would so raise feeling in the community that the nation s war effort would be disrupted. On the other hand, it is freely said that the gulf between the two mam sections of the community is so wide that a deeper breach would not be made by an election, and that the nolitical situation would be clarified by giving the electors the opportunity of deciding on their Government for the next three years.