WHEN LIBERALS RULE

Southland Times, Issue 19292, 10 July 1924, Page 5

WHEN LIBERALS RULE

A PEEP INTO THE FUTURE WHO WILL BE THE CABINET? AN IMPRESSIONIST PICTURE. (Our Parliamentary Reporter). WELLINGTON, July 9. A peep into the future with Liberals in the Treasury benches and the task of forming a Government together with prospects when the patronage of Labour is withdrawn from the Liberal candidature at the ballot box, was vouchsafed by the Minister of Education in an interesting speech in the House of Representatives to-night. “The issue being Parliament and before the country is whether the Government of the day has the confidence of either, which is being tested by a motion of no-confidence brought forward by the Leader of the Liberal Party,” said Hon. C. J. Parr. “He has asked Parliament to eject us, so that he' may be able to form a Ministry and take our places. That can be his only object. Where is the alternative Ministry?” A Labour member: Here. Mr Parr: We want to see where we are going. Mr D. G. Sullivan (Labour, Avon) : Out on the rocks. Mr Parr: Does the Leader of the Opposition suggest that he cau form a Ministry and hold Office for one minute from among his present colleagues. What is the strength of the party that would be his backing? Pricking the card here, not elsewhere (laughter)—he is supported by 18 members pledged to follow him on any motion of want of confidence out of a House of 80 members. Notwithstanding this actual weakness, he has repeated his amendment of last session. As (he Leader of the Labour Party said, we don’t camouflage the position. It may be suggested that he could expect support from the Labour Party, but he has deliberately cut himself off. He has said that their policies are so far apart as the Poles and that if he had to remain in office with their support he would not stay in office. What justifies, therefore, the repetition of the motion of want of confidence? He has but 18 followers.” GILBERT AND SULLIVAN MINISTRY. “He would haw to form a Ministry of ten gentlemen with himself, that would absorb eleven of the fateful eighteen, two whips would need to be supplied, leaving but three or four left. One cannot see the genial member for Wakatipu (Mr Horn) or the equally genial member for Clutha (Mr Edie) left out. They would have to be accommodated with portfolios. It would be a Gilbert and Sullivan Ministry. (Laughter). It would be an army in which every soldier was an officer. (Laughter). The country was told during the recent electoral tour of the Leader of the Liberal Party that the present Ministry could not last more than a few, months. If our prospects of remaining in office are examined so closely, surely it is reasonable for us to examine the prospects of the Liberals in office? Out of the present Liberal Party, there are 13 who represent rural or semirural constituencies,” continued Mr Parr. “They had the good fortune to win their seats with the support of the Labour votes in each of these rural seats. The Liberal candidates had only one seat contested by Labour. I think they are ungrateful to the Labour Party, who extended them their patronage in the last General Election. As regards the future of the party, if Labour is to run a candidate there can be only one result, it will be an execellent thing for the Government Party. Mr H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East): Your are on your last legs now. Mr Parr: The Labour Party would replace the Liberal Party and this remnant would be relegated to political oblivion. That is a fair dispassionate examination of the prospects and my friends opposite know that the sword of Damocles is suspended over them. The Member for Taranaki smiles at the idea, but it is pretty evident that if the Liberal Party puts up a candidate in any of these 14 constituencies where Liberals triumphed over us by a very narrow margin, the end of a glorious and historic party is in sight. Therefore it will seem, that unless the Liberals reconsider the proposals made to them of axi equitable arrangement — Mr S. Smith (Lib-Labour, Taranaki) held up five fingers to indicate the prevailing impression in the lobbies that five members of the Liberal Party had been considering joining the Government Party. Mr Sullivan: They will go over all 1 g “There is little doubt,” said Mr Parr, “that the Liberals would be the third party in the House and that Labour would be in official Opposition.” A Liberal member: You wouldn’t like Mr Parr: It is not ‘a question of what I would like, but of what will assuredly happen. One wonders therefore at the courage behind the launching of the want of confidence motion by a party that has little substantial backing either in the House or outside. That is what is left of the Liberal Leader after the Minister of Customs annihilated him the other day with a very able speech.