REFORM LEADER TALKS ON FUSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19236, 25 November 1930, Page 8

REFORM LEADER TALKS ON FUSION.

■EVEN POINTS LAID DOWN BY MR COATES. Fer Press Association. AUCKLAND, November 24. The suggestion that there should be a fusion of the Reform and United Parties was the subject of a statement by the Right Hon J. G. Coates, leader of the Reform Party. “There is a good deal of talk in.certain circles about the alleged desirability of effecting a fusion of the Reform and United Parties,” said Mr Coates. “It is to be noted .however, that there has never been the slightest suggestion in this direction emanating from any member of the present Government or any prominent member of the United Party. I would recall that, when the United Party first took office, I made a frank and public offer on behalf *of the Reform Party to give the new Government our support on every question on which it adopted a policy consistent with our principles. That offer was brushed aside, and the United Government turned to the Socialist-Labour Party for the support it needed in order to maintain itself in office. Since that time the Government has consistently followed a course which has made it impossible for Reformers to support it, while on the other hand the Government’s policy has evidently been framed to satisfy the Labour Party, on whose votes it has relied. “If there is even now, as some people outside politics suggest, a desire on the part of the Government to free itself from dependence on Socialist Labour, then surely it would be for the Government to indicate the fact. “So far as the Reform Party is concerned, we have as a party nothing to gain by fusion. Our own party is absolutely solid. It has definite principles and a clear-cut policy, and we face the next general election with confidence. But the Reform Party has never put party interests first. We are not prepared to compromise with anybody on matters of principle, and there are certain important points of policy which we regard as absolutely essential in the national interest. If the United Party or any other party chooses to chance its policy and adopt the measures which we of the Reform Party believe to be right, then those who advocate fusion may be able to justify their position, but it is futile to suggest that we of the Reform Party should abandon our principles or cease to fight against a policy which we consider thoroughly bad. “There are seven items of policy upon which we insist. They are:—(l) That there must be a return to the late Reform Government’s policy of tapering off public borrowing. (2) That costs of production must be brought down to enable our producers to meet the new level of world prices. (3) That a policy of de rating must be adopted to ease the burden of roading costs on the farmer. (4) That the railways must be removed from political control. (5) That expenditure of borrowed money on railway construction must cease in all cases where it cannot be shown that the new line when completed will be economically sound. (6) That the rate of wages paid for single men for purely relief work must be lower than the standard rate. (7) That, although night parades should be eliminated, the system of national defence must still be based upon the principle of national service.”