LABOUR LEADER

Southland Times, Issue 20207, 18 June 1927, Page 8

LABOUR LEADER

SEDDONVILLE ADDRESS INTERESTING SESSION PREDICTED GOVERNMENT’S LETHARGY CRITICISED (Per United Press Association.) Westport, June 17. In the course of a pre-sessional address at Seddonville last evening, Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, predicted that the forthcoming session would be the most interesting of the present Parliament, inasmuch as it would test whether the Government intends to make any serious endeavour to honour the promises which were lavishly given during the 1925 election campaign. Last session was a blank in this respect and personally he did not expect there would be any difference this year. He stated that the Opposition would challenge the Government’s policy as reflected in the Prime Minister’s attitude affecting the cooperative marketing of the Dominion’s primary produce and the problem of unemployment. The uncompromising Opposition would also oppose the Singapore Base contribution. Mr. Holland devoted a good deal of time to a criticism of the Government for its failure to carry out the necessary public works and its lethargy in the matter of coal and timber importations. He expressed the opinion that because of sharp divisions in the ranks of the Reform Party the Prime Minister would not find it possible to live up to his pre-election promises to the liquor trade. Mr. Coates’s difficulty was that while he had committed himself in one direction many members ot the party had pledged themselves the opposite way. This was undoubtedly the reason why the Licensing Bill was jettisoned last session. In the event of the Bill being reintroduced this year Mr. Holland said the Opposition would endeavour to secure an amendment providing for voting in order of preference while there were more than two issues on the ballot paper. This would ensure an absolute majority decision.