FEDERAL POLITICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24699, 30 August 1941, Page 8

FEDERAL POLITICS

If the turbulent political atmosphere at Canberra has cleared to .some extent through the resignation by Mr Menzies of his office as Prime Minister, there. can still be no great satisfaction within the Commonwealth at the course of events that produced this development. The Labour Party, which possesses the power in Australia,, as in New Zealand, of dictating policy to its elected representatives, in Parliament rather than be guided by them, has been mainly responsible for a disagreeable demonstration of political disunity in time of crisis. Having so harassed the Prime Minister of the country as to make his position untenable, it refused point blank to accept a generous compromise which would in effect have given Labour a major voice in Cabinet, and it then had the effrontery to demand that the Government should make way for a Labour Administration. All this quibbling and obstruction, it is to.': be understood from a statement by Mr Curtin, the Labour leader, was dedicated to a " successful war effort," which could not be exerted without ''honest patriotic criticism." In dealing with his intractable opponents Mr Menzies has exercised a commendable restraint. His argument that polities should be made Subservient to, national considera- j tions in a period fraught with danger for. the Commonwealth has been supported by his handling of the situation at Canberra. The Government which is now being reformed with Mr Fadden as Prime Minister is no strongerpolitically than it was under Mr Menzies, but since Parliament has gone into, recess until the end of September there may be some opportunity at least for it to attend to matters more urgent than the im-. pprtuhate claims of Labour. The developments in Imperial policy which niust largely determine the grand strategy of the war, and must have a "vital application to the position ■ of Australia'as a Pacific nation, can- v hot be allowed to await; the outcome of jockeying for power at Canberra. It is no secret that' both in England and ,in the United States-rwhich country is largely interested in the solution of Near Eastern prOblems—Mr Menzies is most highly regarded, and while the Imperial War Cabinet could not presume to suggest to the Federal Government its choice of a counsellor from Australia, it is entitled to provide some indication, that he would; be a most acceptable reprer sentative; In. relinquishing the Prime Ministership Mr Menzies has hot only overcome temporarily the most acute difficulties of the Government, but has removed the cause of s the objection of the Opposition to his proceeding to London. In the meantime his undoubted abilities might be better employed in the. service of ;the A Empire as a mejnber at ah .inner War Cabinet than in '*. the effort to shake Australian Labour into a recognition of the requirements of the international crisis.