THE Wairarapa Age MONDAY, MAY 4, 1936. THE NATIONAL PARTY.

Wairarapa Age, 4 May 1936, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MONDAY, MAY 4, 1936. THE NATIONAL PARTY.

Late events in the House of Representatives have shown that there is plenty of useful work for the Opposition to do and that there is likely to be more as time goes on. On that account, and also at a longer view, the announcement that a Dominion conference has been called by the executive of the National Party is timely and must be welcomed. The chairman of the Dominion executive (Mr. C. H. Weston, K.C.) has stated that the object of the conference will be to reconstitute the party on a basis “ that will allow people holding views contrary to the present Government’s policy of socialisation of all activities to form themselves into one party extending over New Zealand.” This is a good programme and political developments already point to the necessity and even urgency of carrying it as soon as possible into effect. With its overwhelming majority, the Labour, Government obviously is in a position to put the programme on which it was elected into legislative shape, but the need of providing a practicable alternative to the existing regime is already becoming apparent. It would be strange if many of the electors who helped to vote the Labour Party into office were not feeling extremely uneasy about the course to which the Government is committed, particularly in piling costs on industry and on the country, with no clear indication of the manner in which these costs are to be met.

Heartened, if not intoxicated by their remarkable victory at the polls, the Labour Government and its supporters evidently are suffering from more than a touch of swelled head and affect to regard the Opposition as z a discredited force of small importance. This is an attitude that time and a normal course of events will correct. As Socrates said in ancient days “the doing any thing to excess is wont to occasion a mighty change to the reverse.” Modern political experience provides many examples of the wisdom of this observation. An easy and sweeping victory won over a Government that has had to perform distasteful and unpopular duties in a time of -economic stress and disorder certainly is not an achievement on which it is wise to presume too far. In our British political practice, any and every Government is ap-

preaching its doom, though the approach may be more rapid in some instances than in others. Just as definitely, any Opposition organised effectively and with a true regard to national needs has an assured future.

The prospects of the National Party depend largely upon its ability to justify its name. An Opposition which is to fight the Labour Government with good prospects of ultimate victory must be national in the full sense and meaning of the word. In addition to exposing the errors and weaknesses of Labour policy and administration, it must demonstrate its ability to shape a policy based on a broad and true regard for national welfare—a policy that will work out with greater advantage to all sections of the population than anything that Labour has to offer. It is essential that the broadest possible basis of unity should be established. A message from Dunedin suggests that the alliance which constituted the National Party possibly may not be maintained and that there may be dissension over the leadership. In a more practical and sensible vein, the same message quotes a statement: “It is obvious, however, that Labour, with its Socialistic programme, must be strongly op-posed. . . .” Evidently it is only from this standpoint that action worth while can be taken. The creation of sectional groups instead of a united Opposition would be as good a way as could be found of giving the Labour Government an extended lease of life.