COUNTRY APPROACHING CRISIS

Chronicle (Levin), 29 March 1947, Page 8

COUNTRY APPROACHING CRISIS

-Press AssociaMon

OPPOSiTIONl DEMANDS EMERGENCY SESSION

tt; By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, March 28. That Parliament should meet without delay and that the ' Prime Minister be asked to summon at onee an emergency session ; was the unanimous deeision taken by the' National Party Opposition ! at its eaucus today. "-Members oi" the party," said the Opposition leader (Mr. S. G. Holland), "were absolutely unanimous 011 this matter. It *was. fe'lt . that the recent declarations by the Prime Mpiister were completely unsatisfaetory and uneonvmcmg. "The Prime Minister has declared that there is no cogent or urgent reason for ealling Parliament together before June, yet the aft'airs of the coventry approach a crisis.. Industrially we face a state of turmoil, and economically we face issues of the gravest ' import. . "Industry is thrown completely out of balance as a result of the breakdown in the supply of electrie power, labour troubles groAv in intensity, problems affecting production increase day by day, and the housing situation worsens instead of improving. "The Government policy is at the root of all these evils. In addition there are other vital problems whicli lieed the urgent "attention of Parliament. Onee again Mr. Nash goes overseas, and •we have to wait until a Minister is overseas before the eountry learns of the policy to which it is to be committed. Parliament has the right to be consulted on such issues as lmperial preference and other fiscal matters which will.come before the Internatiohal Conference at Geneva. • ■ "It is an outrageous thing that the Government should ignore Parliament and deny the representatives of the people the opportunity of a voice in the policy to which the eountry is about to.be eommitted. There are other matters equally pressing and important, notably the need for a deeision regarding Bretton Woods which would justify ail imntediate session of Parliament. "The flimsy exeuses offered by the Prime Minister. failed to impress the Opposition, hence its emphatic insistanee on an emergieney session. We are not unmindful of the fact that in times past June has been regarded as a normal montli for convoking Parliament, but there have been exeeptions, and surely the present is an occasion when the normal rule should be depart ed from." Co'nsideration was given by the caueus of National Party to trends in industrial relations and production. Mr. Holland stated that the very full discussion which occupied the major portion oP • the time of the caueus was spent on these subjeets. In view of the many issues involved and the neccssity of correlating all the relevant facts it was decided to postpone the publication of the final report until early next week when he hoped to be able to issue a full statement of the attitude of the National Party to this question which was of such great importance to the people.