NEGOTIATIONS WITH NATIONAL PARTY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 44, 15 November 1940, Page 8

NEGOTIATIONS WITH NATIONAL PARTY

The People’s Movement

UNSATISFACTORY RESU LT ALLEGED Dominion Special Service AUCKLAND. November 11. Tlie conviction that the National I’arty had no chance of unseating the present Government but that, it was possible to present a party and a policy to the people that would be acceptable to them and to end the present unsatisfactory political position was expressed by the Dominion president of tlie People's Movement. Mr. E. R. Toop, Wellington, in a policy address in lhe concert chamber of tlie Town Hall tonight.

"Our negotiations with tlie Parliamentarians of file National Party have been long drawn out and most unsatisfactory, and 1 have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the leaders of the National Party had. at no time, the slightest intention of acceding to our request, -- Mr. Toop said.

"1 have seen Mr. Hamilton on several occasions, and ’other members of his Parliamentary Party. Correspondence has passed between Mr. Hamilton and myself with absolutely no results. There seems to have been a desire on the part of the National Party to impress the People's Movement witli tlie fact tliat their members were placing country first and party second: but when it came to Hie point of their producing some tangible evidence of this, they merely withdrew into the party and organization shell. “All kinds of obstacles were raised, none of which were worth considering in view ot tlie main objective—tlie security and prosperity of the people of New Zealand. Almost, every member of the party, when the project was being discussed, asked, ‘M hat is your po’.iey.' It. seemed to me that, having none theihselves, they were sceptical of the People’s .Movement having a policy. We stated plainly and clearly to Mr. Hamilton that the People’s Movement wanted a completely new party with a new name, a new leader, a new personnel, and a new policy. “We took into consideration the fact that tlie few sitting members of tlie National Party who will be going to the polls at the next election should be the recognized candidates of the new party. However, it seems witli Hie National Party, as with other parties, tliat party must come first and country second; and our negotiations so far have been completely barren of results. “The People’s Movement, however, is determined to make one more effort to induce the National I’arty not to stand in tlie way of the wish of the majority of tlie electors. We shall make that effort, but T want to make it quite clear, publicly, that, if the National Party is determined to allow selfish party interests to dominate the welfare of the people of this country, and insists on vote-splitting, we shall put: a full complement of candidates into tlie field at the next elections, supporting our policy. It will he quite useless for either Parliamentary members or party interests to endeavour to deter us from so doing.

Ending Party Politics. "We believe that the people ot this country ace heartily sick of party politics, and we intend to give them their opportunity to bring it to an end once and for all. The People's Movement is not: merely an anti-Soeiulist organization. It. is against everything and everyone which stands in the road of the modern expression of the deathless. old principles of equality, justice ami liberty. “We believe that the existing political parties have a common trend from democracy, through expediency, to bureaucracy, and totalitarianism. They are attempting to mould freedom, justice and equality according to their own needs or purposes. We believe that the old principles of freedom, justice and expanding opportunity still hold good. All we have to do is to provide modern tools to meet modern conditions.” Mr. Toop outlined at length the movement’s policy tinder 17 headings.