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PARTY POLITICS AGAIN.

RETURN OF LEADERS. THE TRUCE TO BE ENDED. A FORECAST OF EVENTS. Says Thursday's Dominion: — Most people must have been surprised to read in the cable news yesterday morning a message stating that Sir Joseph Ward was coming back to New Zealand at once, but that Mr Massey would follow Inter. As a matter of fact, Sir Joseph has almost certainly left England ore this, and he expects to he back in this country on July 22nd. It is not impossible that Mr Massey may yet be returning by the same steamer, and that Sir Joseph Ward is merely making the trip across the Atlantic a little earlier than necessary. By catching a later steamer, Mr Massey might he still able to connect at Vancouver with the steamer which would bring him to Now Zealand by July 22nd.

No particular significance need be attached to the fact that Sir Joseph Ward is leaving before Mr Massey. It is understood that Sir Joseph Ward has done all that is required of him, but that Mr Massey still has some work to do. But Mr Massey is very anxious to return as soon as possible. It is probable that there will ho rumours to the effect that Mr Massey is not coming back as soon as he finds it possible.

Very soon after July 22ml there may he events of explosive suddenness in polities in New Zealand. It is current talk that Sir Joseph ■Ward and Mr Massey are definitely estranged, and that all hope of continuance of the coalition is out of the question while these two gentlemen remain in command of the two parties. Sir Joseph Ward is understood tp have decided to revert to party politics at the earliest possible moment, and is said to be hopeful of ousting Mr Massey from office. The question has still to be decided, however, as to whether Sir Josejdi Ward can beat Mr Massey in a division in the House. The Reform Party claims that he cannot, that they can win with Sir Frederick Lang, who is a member of the party, in the Speaker’s chair, and even that they can win. with Mr Malcolm, also a member of (he Reform Parly, in the chair (when the House is in Committee), although in such an event it might be necessary for Mr Malcolm to give his casting vote. The Speaker has never voted in Committee, and he has always adopted the view that he ought not to do so. This is the reason for the difference in the calculation in the two cases. It is not expected that any of the Liberal Ministers at present in the Government will vote for Mr Massey as against Sir Joseph Ward, and no reckoning of any of thou - votes is taken in the count on which the Reform prediction is based. It is suspected, however, that at least two of the Ministers on the Liberal side of the Cabinet are not in favour with Sir Joseph Ward nowadays, and that still another of the Liberal Ministers thinks that the coalition ought to he preserved if possible. It is assumed, nevertheless, in the estimates of voting strength referred to that these gentlemen will all vote for Sir Joseph Ward when the trial of strength comes. As it is certain that Sir Joseph Ward is going to make another bid for office as head of a Liberal Government, his first act of importance will be to withdraw from the coalition and to “denounce the armistice” which lias been in existence for four years. Automatically this will mean Hie retirement from the Government of the Liberal -Ministers, and will leave Mr Massey with n number of seats in the Cabinet to fill. This, it is considered, will give him an opportunity to allay some of the disaffection caused in bis party through dissatisfaction with the personnel of the Reform section of the Cabinet as it is constituted at present. Then his plan will be to go to the country, if he should survive the fateful division, with his new policy, and a promise of reconstruction of the Ministry in the event of his being returned to power.

The greatest uncertainty in all the predictions that can he made is as to the result of the division on the motion of no-confidence that it is believed will be moved by Sir Joseph Ward. It is presumed that all the members of the - new "Progressive’’ Party will vole with Mr Massey. It is quite certain that none of them will vote for Sir Joseph Ward, but there may be a possibility that some of them will not trouble to vote at all. If this should happen calculations may be upset. . On the other hand, there are some old Liberals in the House who are not nearly such keen party men as they used to be, and the Whips on their side may have difficulties with them. It is known as a fact that some of them did not favour the resolution passed at a caucus of the party some time ago declaring for a separation of the Liberal Thirty from the coalition. It is not impossible that there will be quite a number of surprises when the division lists are counted. If Sir Joseph Ward should be lucky enough to win on a division he will have a most precarious tenure of office. He cannot have a hope of winning without the votes of all the members of the Labour Party, and those members are pledged to vote against any Government but a Labour Government, They would vote cut Mr Massey, but if their words have any meaning

they would also vote out Sir Joseph Ward. Under these circumstances a, short session and an early appeal to the country seems probable.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MH19190621.2.15

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1993, 21 June 1919, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
974

PARTY POLITICS AGAIN. Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1993, 21 June 1919, Page 3

PARTY POLITICS AGAIN. Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1993, 21 June 1919, Page 3

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