The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1931. A RESTIVE PARLIAMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 November 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1931. A RESTIVE PARLIAMENT.

Now that it has been decided to <ippwil to the country for the endorsement of the 'policy of the Coalition Government affecting the balancing of the Budget, menive, s are very restive 'to got away from Wellington, and spend the available time in their eonist'.lfcuencie'S. It aeemisi remarkable that the loquacious Labour member should now settle down to st-auy business. Probably the course of political events at Heme has had a sobering effect on the New Zealand contemporaries. The' fact that so many political giants of the British Labour Party have been removed from their seats must have some useful impres

i sion on the* Labour mind in New j Zealand, The treatment accorded (Lai bour at Homo shows a very distinctj lack of confidence in the political 1 mama of the sometime Labour members. They have been tried ami the. verdict of the polls is that they have been found wanting. The possibility of a similar fate for. Labour in New Zealand is not by any means remote, and it can well be understood that the ■ representatives here are disposed to turn their political sails and not make themselves too much of a nuisance in the remaining day's of the session. They will not be anxious to appear as obstructionists just' now The session which is now running its course has !>een remarkable, for the practical fusion of the two main parties. This was the desire of Mr Forbes at the otitset when tlie serious state of the public finances was apparent, but the action was overlong deferred. However it was probably better to come to pass by the slower process of natural evolution, rather than that a rush alliance, should have been made. The unity.now established has resulted in the two parties going to the polls as one party. Here, again, the course of. events at Home under somewhat 'like circumstances, is being repeated, and the result will, be a. simple and definite issue for the electors. There will he an absence of triangular contests, and there will not be the usual complaint of minority representatives.. Those sent to Parliament .will in the main be majority representatives and should the better ” interpret the views of the electorates, No doubt- nil. the ■seats will bo contested. Although a candidate has not ns yet been' sclented to oppose the sitting Labour member, it is understood a Coalition candidate will be brought out, and the same action is likely to result in the neighbouring constituency of Buller,. where'' Labour also holds the seat. Although both sra.ts are considered by many as safe Labour seats in ordinary times, tihe circumstances on 'this occasion are changed greatly. The general election this year is on extraordinary, that is, unusual lines, and the issue is country' before partly. We have seen how the United and Reform people are in. the ma;i n dropping party considerations, and it may be expected that a substantial proportion of the Labour electors will be emiall.v self-secrificing, and they too will put party 7 aside and vote for the country’s good. That being so there is nothing certain about- the results for the Duller and Westland seats., and those contests will be as open as most clashes in the- near future. Actually New Zeaa.nd is face to face with a crisis, and it is as much in the interests of the worker, as any other, to see that a safe economic poliev for the country is shaped and carried through successfully.