POLITICAL UNITY WANTED

Southland Times, Issue 24174, 10 July 1940, Page 8

POLITICAL UNITY WANTED

Party Leaders May Again Confer OPPOSITION CAUCUS HELD YESTERDAY (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 9. The conditions under which the Opposition is prepared to join with the Government in the direction of New Zealand’s war effort were discussed at a caucus of the Parliamentary members of the National Party today. Though no statement was made for publication, there is reason to believe that the Opposition is anxious to see political unity brought about without delay, even though this may involve the sacrifice of some conditions which it first sought. A caucus of Parliamentary members of the Labour Party had been called for today, but was postponed till tomorrow. After the Labour Party caucus it is expected that the leaders of the two parties will again confer with a view to reaching some final agreement. It is known that the Opposition is anxious that the authority of the proposed war Cabinet should be extended beyond that suggested in the original proposal of the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser). Should an agreement be reached between the parties during the next few days it is probable that it will have some influence on the financial debate, which has now extended over three sittings, and the subsequent discussion on the estimates of departmental expenditure. In such circumstances a protracted discussion would be unlikely.