RELATIONS OF THE PARTIES

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1930, Page 6

RELATIONS OF THE PARTIES

EXCHANGE AFTER ELECTIONS. • reform offer not accepted •

Reference was made a few days' ago bv the Right Hon. J-.G- Coates to the offer .of support made by him to the United. Government when the Jattei took office, with the observation that it was “brushed aside,”. the Government turning to the Labour Party 'for the support it needed to maintain, itself in office. The. relevant passages in the Hansard reports are interesting. 1 At the close of the debate on.the noconfidence motion, a few moments be- - fore -the division which resulted'in the defeat of the Reform Government on December 7, 1928, Mr. Coates said; - - “I hope that in the future we may be able to render assistance to those who are to follow, us; apd if-, at ;ahy'time.,, they have a difficult problem to deal with, in which I may be of service to them, -I say to them individually, ‘Do not hesitate .to com© along to me, or 1. will come along to you; and I will give you myi.opinion for. what;it is worth. I may have some ideas which roay .be of- use in spite of what was said during the elections.” That offer was repeated at the close of his speech. . Four. days, later, the new Ministry assumed office. - After congratulating its leader and his colleagues; .'Mr. Coates • said: —-“If my experience arid- opinions are of any value to the right honourable . gentleman and his colleagues I. shall deem it my duty to place them-at their disposal. If they care to ask-me, my assistance will he given without, hessite- . •tion, as I believe that the political situation . calls for very- broadminded action at the present - moment. Tlte responsibility that is cast upon the right honourable gentleman and- those .associated with him is'a heavy one; 1 ; and it'is for honourable members to make -, that' responsibility reasonably, smooth ' in view of the difficult situation which has been created. . ... : ■

■ “The Leader, of the United Party has definitely declared that his party wiiL not agree 'to any w/orking agreement between the United Party and . the'Reform -Party in order to bring about a strong and stable Government. There does not ‘therefore appear •to • be any purpose to be served by.- discussing possibilities of i this nature. I feel, therefore, that a great responsibility is thrown upon the shoulders of the Reform Party. I have endeavoured ;to. make an iippersonal survey of the.situation, and,- while' there are several 'attractive and alluring courses of .action from the point, of view of party tactics, yet. on reflection they .appear insigniflcant as. compared with the .responsibility we are under, of rendering the best service -possible to the people of New Zealand. ' /

•I “Therefore,• in:‘€O far as. the United Party brings forward measures/that ac-. cord with our policy or. Appear to its 'to be in the public interests.- we will not . obstruct them, but assist to. carry them out; but,' naturally, and necessarily, we. reserve the right to, Criticise and 'oppose any, measures or administrative actions which we may consider imimical to tlie ■best of New Zealand. On these,; questions we.must 'judge" the - situation,;., as it . develops and cannot /make any general commitment.” , In. the course of ' a Toiig speech,-, the Prime Minister, the Ute Sir Joseph Ward, emphasised the impossibility of fusion, which the Reform Party had hot proposed, but no'reference was made id' the actual: offer of assistance. "1 read between the lines of the not too clear statement he (Mr. Coates) madejn coti- ; n'ection with the possible union of the Reform Party , and .tlie.. United Party, and the views, he. he]d in regal'd to .the refusal of the. United^ Party .t° entertain the' proposal’ madei. iu .the Conservative press of this cbuntry--after the election—Jhat coalition was/ desifa'ble,”' he ■ said in one passage.. -/i/Tp. riiy mind, the circumstances are . perfectly clear.. There could not be a doubt in. the mind ■of any impartial observer ;that the two ; parties were standing at the .election on diametrically opposite .lines.l' , • In a further reference, Sir Joseph Ward said:—“lf I had, on behalf of the United Party, said' at that juncture (after the election) that we would co-;•; alesce with the Reformers, I would have,. been asking the United Party to coalesce with a party that had steadfastly ' opposed the policy we had bpen laying: before the -people. No rational politician, either in the House br put of it, can expect any man to turn a. somersault after coming from the polls, without the authority of his’supporters' hiring obtained. It would have meant, a change of policy. The Reformers would not agree to our policy, and we-eertain-ly■; would • not agree to theirs. It .would have been a case of clash and a negation of the policy that we bad • set before the people.’’ : 1 I