POLITICAL NOTES

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17786, 10 August 1929, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES

WANT OF CONFIDENCE. GOVERNMENT THREATENED. MR COATES’ VENTURE. (Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Friday. No doubt the notice given by the Right. Hon. J. G. Coates, the Leader of the Opposition, in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, to move an amendment in the Customs Bill reducing the proposed primage duti from two per cent, to one per cent, is the first fruit of the discussions between the Reform leaders during the week-end recess. It was made obvious enough at the very beginning of the debate upon the Budget that the Opposition had taken off the gloves to the Government and abandoned all notion of employing only the soft pedal until Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues had found their feet. The change of attack seems' to have no terrors for the Prime Minister. He regards the whole position indeed, with the utmost complacency. The fact that Mr H. E. Holland, the Leader of the Labour Party, was the first to condemn the appearance of 'he primage duty in the Budget does not perturb him at all. He realises the strength of the Labour Party and is content to await its expression.

Is It 'Tactful?

Whether or not the Opposition has taken a tactful step in challenging the financial proposals of the Government so early in the debate remains to be seen. Mr Coates and his immediate advisers no doubt are more bent upon embarrassing the Labour Party than they are upon immediately dislodging the United Party from the Treasury Benches. The result of their adventure, however, might be a dissolution of Parliament and another appeal to the electors. This would be a development for which the Reformers are not yet fully prepared and with a good understanding between United and Labour, and with a defective system ot election, they probably would find themselves worse off than they arc al the present time. There is, of course, no suggestion of a coalition between the United and the Labour Parties, hut they both are definitely against Reform and having established a lead of 182,000 votes aL the general election in November, it is scarcely likely they would become a minority upon an early reference to the constituencies.

Reform’s Hazard. The Dominion, discussing the position from the Opposition’s point of view, does not hold out much prospect of the Reformers immediately supplanting the Uniteds on the Treasury Benches. “The speech delivered by Mr Holland before the Freezing Workers’ Conference recently,” it says, “would appear to place a very definite obstacle in the way of his party supporting the Reform Party on a no-confidence amendment. Tncre Mr Holland made it clear that the Labour Party would not vole with the Reform Party on such occasions. All this bears out the interpretation placed upon it by ttie Dominion, but at a caucus of the Labour Party held yesterday it was resolved tiiat the parly would maintain its' position in Parliament, entirely independent of other parties, and that it would shape its policy as all the circumstances surrounding such situation would warrant.” The reservation that the party may shape its policy in accordance with surrounding circumstances seems to leave Mr Holland, and his followers free to place themselves beyond the mcs'hes of the Reform net. '

Tho Kingmaker.

The Evening Post, discussing Mr Coates’ challenge to the Government, “In the light of the amendment of which notice has been given by the Leader of the Opposition, and the statement made in the House by Mr Holland last Thursday," it says, “interest attaches to what Mr Holland said at a function at Greymouth last May. Following a remark by Mr J. O'Brien, Labour M.P. for Westland, that the present Parliament would run its full term of three years, Mr Holland said that he could not conceive of the Labour Party voting witli the Coates Party on votes of no-confldence moved by Mr Coates, or vice versa, so that the tenure of Sir Joseph Ward's Government was assured for the usual term of three years. He, as the Leader of the Labour Party in Parliament, was in the position of ‘Kingmaker.’ ” This, to an extent, is the position; but Mr Holland is far too astute to imagine that he can change from one side to the other at his own sweet will. Nor is it his disposition.