NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24424, 9 October 1940, Page 8

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

AUSTRALIAN PROPOSAL LABOUR NOT ENTHUSIASTIC MELBOURNE, Oct. 8. The conference of Federal party leaders called by Mr Menzies to-day to discuss the political situation did not eventuate, though the four leaders concerned-—Messrs R. G. Menzies, A G. Cameron, J. Curtin and J. A. Beasley—were in Melbourne. Mr Menzies conferred separately with Mr Curtin, the leader of the Federal Labour Party, then with Mr Beasley, leader of a group of four New South Wales members calling themselves the Non-Communist Labour Party. Statements issued by Mr Menzies, Mr Curtin and Mr Beasley later threw no light on the political impasse, but it is believed that Mr Curtin firmly rejected the National Government proposal, declaring that Mr Menzies should resign, allowing the Governor-General to call on Mr Curtin to form a Government. Week-end developments suggested the possibility that Labour is willing to take office with the support of a small group of Independent nonLabour members, giving a majority of three or four in the House of Representatives. The only definite outcome of today’s proceedings was the decision of all leaders to call meetings of their parties at Canberra next week. Failure to reach agreement on the formation of a National Government may cause Mr Menzies to decide to meet the House and face a no-con-fidence motion moved by Mr Curtin. The Independents, upon whom any Government must depend, will then be forced to declare their hands.