POLITICAL BADMINTON.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 314, 14 November 1929, Page 4

POLITICAL BADMINTON.

THE discussion in the House over the motion of the Leader of the Labour Party on the question of public service salaries provides another instance of there being far too much party in the politics. of this session. It is the penalty the country pays for the three party system. The motion became a matter of political manoeuvring, in which the public service salaries were of less moment than the wish to appear to the country at large as “ Codlin’s your friend, not Short.’” Doubtless the Labour Party, in bringing forward the motion, saw an opportunity to embarrass either the Government or the Opposition, and to put either or both in an awkward position, and a good chance for political propaganda. The Government, in their turn, strove to force the hands of Labour and Reform by treating the . motion as one of no confidence. It became in the main a party issue obscuring the subject matter.

Whether the Labour Party were actuated by political motives or not in bringing forward the motion is beside the point. The real issue was the merits of the proposal. And very little attention was given to these. There was no attempt to seriously examine the financial aspects of the proposition. The Government said the proposed increases would cost £500,000; the Labour Party averred it would not impose a quarter of that sum on the country; Who was right? There was no inclination to get down to facts and figures. In short, the public service was made the shuttlecock in the political badminton match.