ELECTION ISSUE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24738, 15 October 1941, Page 4

ELECTION ISSUE

LITTLE PROGRESS MADE SUGGESTED POSTPONEMENT NATIONAL PARTY’S CONDITION (0.C.) WELLINGTON. Oct. 14. The only development reported in the negotiations between’ the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) on the question of postponing the. general election is that the Opposition, at the reaufesf of Mr EtaMr; MS''dlatilled one or two points arising Put of-the;earlier correspondence between the ,iwo leaders. V ■ U It now appears that the only issue discussed has been that of an extension of the life of the present Parliament and the conditions under which the Opposition would agree to this course. The postponement suggested, it is believed, was for one year only* the stipulation being -made by the National Party that no controversial legislation should, be Introduced in that period. Whether the term or the condition will be acceptable to the Government has yet to be made known. A caucus of the Parliamentary Labour Party has been called for tomorrow morning to discuss the election issue. What the response of the caucus will be depends largely both on the influence of Mr Fraser and the acceptability or otherwise of the conditions he has discussed with the Opposition. It is now more than a month since Mr Fraser returned from the United Kingdom, and as the life of the present Parliament expires on November 1 the expectation of his announcement has produced some tension. The announcement has been expected from day to day until the end of last week, when the caucus adjourned. The delay has caused one parliamentary figure wittily to paraphrase Mr Churchill’s famous saying as follows: —“Never in the history of New Zealand politics have so many been told so little by so few.’’ _ Emphasis is given in parliamentary circles to the point that the decision whether or not an election shall be held rests with the Government.