I WAR CABINET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 December 1940, Page 7

I WAR CABINET

STATEMENT BY OPPOSITION LEADER CRITICISM OF PREMIER'S OBSERVATIONS. ADVOCACY OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.! CHRISTCHURCH. December 30. "[ am very surprised indeed to find that the Prime Minister has chosen Sunday night to communicate his views to the public.” said the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Holland, when he was invited tonight to comment on Mr Fraser’s statement that it was obvious that if the War Cabinet was to continue as a national institution for the purpose of directing the nation’s war effort both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition had to be members of the War Cabinet. Mr Holland, who was in the country, where he is spending the holidays, said that the first he had heard of the broadcast was from his interviewer. He had neither heard the broadcast, nor had he seen a newspaper report of the Prime Minister's speech.

“The broadcast is all the more surprising because of the fact that the week before the session concluded on December 6. Mr Fraser came to me and informed me that the question of the War Cabinet was likely to come up and. that he would write me a letter later on about it. I was available at any time for any discussion before the session concluded. Moreover I have been in Wellington on two occasions since, and I have been continuously within reach of telephone. The letter which the Prime Minister said he would send me has not come to hand. If Sunday night broadcasts are to replace the usual means of communication between party leaders then 1 can only express my great regret a' the change.” “If what the Prime Minister has stated means the breaking up of the War Cabinet, I can only express my own and the Opposition’s regret," M: Holland said. “The Prime Minister has been good enough to say publicly on many occasions that Mr Coates and Mr Hamilton have rendered conspicuous service to the Empire's war effor' and that he could not wish to be associated with two more suitable or better qualified men.

"When the War Cabinet was firs' constituted there was no qualification whatever that the Leader of the Opposition should be one of the Opposition'; representatives, and it seems strange that the Prime Minister should wish to impose such a condition. “I would point out that the Parliamentary Opposition confirmed Mr Hamilton and Mr Coates as members of the War Cabinet, gave them an entirely free hand and assured them of the wholehearted backing of caucus in every way possible in the prosecution of New Zealand’s war effort. In fact the Opposition has increased its contribution to the national war effort by enabling Mr Coates and Mr Hamilton to devote the whole of their time to war work.”

Next year would be election year Mr. Holland said, and it must have been obvious that Mr. Hamilton would have been obliged to devote a tremendous amount of his time to election work. Now he could devote practically the whole of his time to war work. “There is only one specific way to achieve national unity,” Mr. Holland said, “and that is by the formation of a proper National Government, in which all parties share full responsibility for administering the country’s affairs. That has been done With conspicuous success in Britain and other pa’-ts of the Empire. After referring to the “many orders-in-council thnt have been made under the war regulations without any reference to (he Wav Cabinet." Mr. Holland said that, in his opinion, the Government was no more. entitled to select the Opposition representatives of the War Cabinet than lhe Opposition was entitled to choose the members of the Cabinet.

“Since the session concluded two ministerial resignations have been tendered, but the Government appears to be so determined to hold its portfolios that this- caucus has voted on the successors to the Ministers who have resigned.

“The proper course to adopt is that both parties should sink their differences. form a National Government and get on with winning the war. The Opposition is prepared to do its part if the Government will do the same, and-the Opposition is not going to remain silent while the Government goes full speed ahead with its socialisation programme.”