CLEAR MANDATE, SAYS MR. FRASER

Chronicle (Levin), 10 December 1946, Page 6

CLEAR MANDATE, SAYS MR. FRASER

-Press Association

Government Will Carry On REPLY TO MR. HOLLAND

Bv Telearavh-

DUNEDIN, Dec. 9. ' ' Tlie result of the general election is that the Government has been returaed by a majority of votes cast throughout the Doniinion. The majority of seats is four and the majority of votes is about 30,000. The electors liave given the Govennnent a clear and definite mandate and the Government accepts the mandate.' ' In these words the Prime Minister, I-Ion. P. Erasor, summed up his views of the results of the general election vvhen he gave an address at a Labour Party social in Dunedin tonight. "Many Governments of New Zealand liave heen elected to ofiice , and have retained offiee without a majority vote of the electors," Mr. Fraser said, ' ' and soiue without even a majority of members in tlie House of Representatives. The two. most notable examples of the latter Which I cah recall, are that of the Reform Party in 1922 when Mr. Massey vvas enabled to carry on only with the lielp of two members of tlie" Liberal Party and one lndependent and that of the United Party in 1928 held in oflice by the votes of the Labour members. "As a matter of fact various Reform Party Governments — -Eeform Party with a small admixture of retrogressive illiberal Liberals being the direct political ancestors of the Nationalist Party — never obtained a majority vote of the people of New Zealand," he added. "The total votes cast for the Goveniinent, " the Prime Minister said, "are the liigliest ever received by the Labour Party and that after 11 years of oflice ineluding tliree years and nine nionths of depression and post-depres-sion conditions, six years of war, and one year and tliree months of postvvar circuiustances, with all their difiicult problenis, sulfering disabilities, compulsions, rationing, shortagcs, com plaints (reasonable and unreasonable), discontent mongers, calamity howlers, prophets of doom and furious frustrated profiteers. Even the iirst Labour Government of 1935 which, under the leadership of Michael Joseph Savago, did sucli splendid vvork ineluding social security, did not receive a majority vote of the wholc of the electol's.

"The Government has received an emphatic vote of confidence from the electors of the country as a whole; greater indeed than that received by any other Government in 38 years and only exceeded by the Labour Party majority in 1938," Mr. Fraser stated. "The Government returns sincere tlianks to the electors for this very definite vote of confidence, for their plain endorsement of its policy and perfornianco in the past, and for the mandate to carry out its programme aud plans for the future. f "1 do not profess to be completely satisficd with the results of the general election," he added. "1 tliink the achievements of the Labour*-'" GoVerri-f ment in poare and iu war deserve a| niucli larger majority botli of votes and of seats but I accept uncomplainingly tlie verdiet of the people obtained in the democratic way of polities and would do so with good grace and due resignation if that verdiet liad been ugainst the Government." Party Losses' Regretted. Tlie Prime Minister expressed regret at the loss from the Govennnent Party in Parliament of such tried, trusted and alile stalvvarts in the cause of Labour and demoeracy as Mossrs Tliorn, vSchnnnm, Mcaclicn, Morgan Williauis and Denhani. The party liad suffered in , every way by their reverse which he believed in all cases would be temporary. lle was sorry, too, that more of Labour 's brilliant young ex-servicemon eaiulidates wero not elected. Their outstandingl v able campaigns iu the eleetonil field fulfilled the liigliest promise aud would sliow permauent results in future, as would that of other Labour eaiulidates uiisuceossful at the moment. A special word of congratulations was due to the Labour Party's two women candidates, Mr. Fraser said, Miss Howard obtained the largest majority of any eandidate while Mrs Newland 's achievement in a diffic-ull electoralo was most creditable froir every point of vievv. lle extcnded s cord'ial welcome to the liouse of Kepre

sentatives of Messra JilcLagan, Moolian, Finlay, Kearins, Skinnbr and Hudson and the return of Mr. Baxter and Mr. Ormond Wilson. Their services would be valuable becaus'e ■ of their wide experienee. "One of the most gratifying featttres of the election was the servicemen's votes," the Prime Minister said. "The servicemen gave the Government the" majority in-73 out of the 80 electorates and in one of the remaining seven there was a tie. The .servicemen's votes cast for Labour were 5048 and for the Nationalists 2833." . , ' Reply to Mr. Holland ' A f ew words about the calculations, misealeulations, vagaries and mistakes in Mr. Holland 's statement^" was the way in which the Prime1 Minister des--cribed the lerigthy reply he made tonight to- the published remarks of the Leader of the Opposition on the final results of the eleetiohs. "Mr. Holland's coilcern as to howthe Government is to carry on is mueh appreciated by me, " he said. "It is true that the Goveriiment 's majority in the House of Rkpresentatives is not over large but it will suffice for the next three years. I agree with the Leader of the Opposition that there has been no sweeping victory but I can claim that Labour has won a victory and that nothing remains of his confident forecast, repeatedly _ uttered in Parliament and on the platform, about the likelihood of a chauge of Government, while his more loud and strident supporters, coulidently asserting the inevit.ability of the forthcoming victory, are strieken dumb with disappointment. 1 1 His uuconcealed deliglit, of which obviously he is already eujoying a delectable foretaste, at the possible predicauient of the Government in being deprived of two votes in committeey on the whole may be somewhat modrfied by reverting to the old Parliamentary practice of Mr. Speaker voting as well as speaking in coinmittee, " the Prime Minister stated. "This will leave a majority of three and -while it is narrovv, it is not so precarious as the number some other governments havP liad' to carry on with. "In any case," he added, "the fate of governments is not sealed and their lives are not surrendered on catcli votes. The conlidence of tlie people can only be withdrawn by the people and not by a voting accideut in the House of Representatives.

' ' I have iittle or uo objcction to Mr. Flollaud 's wiuning electoral victories in the columns of the newspapers so long ts Labour wius tliem at the ballot box, ' ' Mr. Fraser stated, "but his reckless mishandlihg of electoral figLaW shows that he can do anything with figures except undcrstand them. By taking Raglan (39) and Koskill (169) aud by iguoring Otaki (44)" and 8t. Albans (86), lie has "the Government well defeated to his own complete satisfaction. By applyihg the same method to all National majorities under 300 1 could easily prove that with a turn over of from '23 to 119, Labour could have wou six Seats held now by the Nationalists and our mdjority could be 16. Wliat profitefh such vaiu delusional and wishful thiuking and 'calculations? Nothing what ever.? • Figurek Quoted. , ' ' The facts are"" lie said, ' ' tliat Lab'our polled '538,773 votes (51.4upor coflt of the votes cast* thi'oughout the .country) and the 'Nationalists poliy 504,074 votes (48.5 per cent of the total votes cast). Votes cast 'for other candidates being negliglhle; this gives a Labour majority of 29,699. These figures may be slightly-- altereT -wlicn5 the fimal -figures still outsfendiug from six -electorates are received". '''• : ' ' ' The Maori people would bitterly re scnt the impututrione cast on* tthem b,\ Mr. H oi land that The main issue voted on 'by them was social security," tlu* Prime Minister continued. "How had he completely missed the outstahding fact that what the Maoris voted for in 'such overwhelmingly nuiubers (Labour i 23,009, Nationalist 11,855). was foi ; equality for the Maori people iu all | spheres — political^ educational, social ! and econoniic — and for the future oi ] their race .on that basis. Tliey will.re1 sent even more the utterly uirworthy ] and venemous suggestion initiated by I the Nationalists in the depths of theii , ehagrin, and now "given circulation by I their- leader, that there was extensivc i duplicate voting by the Maoris. It is ; regrettable that the Nationalist Party 1 has always to diseover or invent ex : cuses for defcat and to justify theii | moans and groans over their failuri with the electors. Perhaps it is this iiccessity that induced Mr. Holland, u

J>i8c,PEess statement,.txi iake.Ui nos.e, diyei into . political pollutiou by his refer ■ ence tO burnt ballot papers," Mr.' Fraser continued. "If Mr. Holland, by that reference, meaus to state or to. iu t'er that. I, as Minister iu charge of the Electoral Department or any of my Cabinet or Parliamentary colleagues. were parties to or liad ,hny responsibil ity in connection with oi- were consulted in any way or had any knowledge of the burning of the ballot papers- in Egypt iu 1943— and 1 earnest'ly "hope that is not his intention — then 1 am compelled, as I was constrained to do to a inuch more promineut person in Lon don early this year, to fling the false hood back full in his face. ' ' As regards the effect of the aboli tion of the country quota," he added, 1 1 It does not appear at the momeilt that it had any result other tirau to ent'orce the Labour principal of ' oue vote one value'. The alteration of the boiin daries does not appear to have resulted iu an advantage to eitlier party. Wiping Out Opposition. "When 1 said in Christchurch on Fri day evening last that with the main tenance of the great energy and en thusjiasm shown by Labour supporterr in tlie rccent campaign, and lyitk.yini provcd and more extensive bT^Ai'sa tion and dissemination of facts, opposi tion to Labour would be wiped out, 1 had uo thought of any course but tlie democratic one of informing and trusting the people," said Mr.' Fraser. "When the people as a whole know tlie truth, the whole truth aud nothing. bu! the truth in regard to the work -of tlie Government aud the objective of the National Party, that truth will set them free from the menace of reactitfnary politics »and ecouomics. "The Labour Government accepts once more the definitely expressed dccision of the electors and again takes up the responsibilities of oflice," Mr. Fraser said. "It will maintain and further the instalments of social jus tice already establishcd and it will pro ceed with its plans to promote the development of our country and pros pcrity and happiness of all its people in this task. It asks for the assistance of all people of goodwill who are im hued with a desire to put the w,elfarc of New Zealand and all its people be fore any sectional interests what'ever."