“ABOLISH PARTIES"

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 995, 11 June 1930, Page 10

“ABOLISH PARTIES"

MR. WILKINSON SUBMITS A SCHEME LET HOUSE CHOOSE LEADER From Our Ourn Correspondent STRATFORD, Today. A somewhat unexpected scheme was propounded by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., at Kaponga, when he urged the abolition of political parties. He proposed to replace the present methods with a system under which the Full House would select its leader who, in turn, would choose the members of the Government. The best of Labour, Reform and United should be called on to sink party prejudices and act jointly for the country’s good. “Owing to the Labour Party declaring against Reform, and casting votes for the Uniteds, the Reform Government was overthrown after being in power for 16 years,” said Mr. Wilkinson, “but the present Government was a minority Government entirely dependent for its daily support on one or other of the groups outside its own ranks. This position is almost intolerable. It is a negation of Government.”

Mr. Wilkinson unhesitatingly ,cor.demned the party system, saying ’c was established when there were only two parties, and the majority was considered the essential factor. Now the number of parties had increased. Because of this, a Government could only carry on by pleasing one of the sections opposed to it. The position of the country demanded that the best talent in the House should be in the Cabinet, regardless of party shibboleths.

Speaking of the United Party. Mr. Wilkinson paid a tribute to the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, hut suggested that his recent Cabinet reconstruction was capable of improvement. He was prepared to give general support to all good policy measures, but he would consider the merits of each case.