NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9981, 11 July 1925, Page 6

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

FUSION NOT AT AN END MINISTER’S STATEMENT. i (Special—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. “We would all like to see a Strong national Government,” remarked Horn G. J. Anderson, Minister of Labour, when the House was discussing Mr Atmore’s amendment, “but the mover on his own showing is ia freelance. He has made no pledges to electors, but he forgets that' members on the Liberal and Reform sides have made pledges. With the best of intentions, he has jumped in where it would have been far better not to have interfered. In effect, he asks mjembers to be disloyal to their) promises at the hustings. If he had waited till the whole of the negotiations were complete he could have moved his amendment suitably.” Mr Corrigan: ‘ ‘When is that likely?” Mr Anderson did not reply, but he went on to suggest that in his travels lie had not heard much about the electors’ desire for ftision. Though the newspapers had written .. it up, the electors had a right to be consulted. He resented the Labour suggestion that Portfolios stood in the way of Reform -a.ccepffijßg; the Liberals.' “The Prime Minister has had the resignations of every one of his colleagues right froin commencement of the negotiations, and no Minister has ex-pressed-any desire to stand.in the way of bringing about fusion. If the parties are agreed, it should be done.” As to when the parties should come together, Mr Anderson said this was under negotiation, arid so far be knew the matter! was not at an end. He believed that when everything concluded, it would be found that New Zealand would do the right thing, as every British Parliament would do.