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Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 August 1941, Page 5

SITUATION ANU UolLwJ||i DISCUSSED. QUESTION OF POSTPONING ELECTION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. ‘‘ I confirm now. on behalf of 'the Government —though I have to be a bit retieent till the Prime Minister gets back -—that whatever road it is necessary to travel to achieve the maximum war effort, that road I will, go and that road the Government will go.” said the Acting-Prime Minister. Mr Nash, discussing national unity in his speech in the House of Representatives last night. "I say with some humility and some reluctance that at the moment I don't see that a National Government can do that," he added, "It is on account of what the Opposition has done during the last six months that it is next door to impossible to have a National Government. "The issues of this war are so great that if a National Government is necessary to extend the war effort, then I am in favour of it. But I don’t believe that a National Government would extend our war effort. I am sorry that I don’t.” Offer after offer, Mr Nash said, had been made by the Government to the Leader of the Opposition to join the War Cabinet, the one place where he could help, but he had not come. A Government member: "He doesn’t want to.” TALK OF LEG-IRONS. “Let us bo fair,” replied Mr Nash "The only reason is that he wants to indulge in party politics. He is convicted out of his own mouth because he says that if he comes into the War Cabinet he will be leg-ironed. Legironed for what?”

Mr Polson (Opposition. Stratford): “You want everybody to be leg-ironed but yourself.’’ Answering a charge that the Government’s social policy was similar to that of Nazi Germany and Russia, Mr Nash said a more cruel indictment of this country or the Government had never been made. “We have in this country taken steps toward Socialism,’’ he added. “We have taken those steps toward Socialism along the free, open, democratic road, as far opposed to those of other schools of thought as it is possible to be.” “Your every adjustment of price levels is a principle of Nazi philosophy,” interjected Mr Polson. "That is what makes it impossible to do what is in the interests of this country,” replied Mr Nash. “They say from the Opposition benches there ought to be a National Government. They still ask the privilege of coming and associating with a Nazi Government. They charge us with being like the enemy we are sending our men Vo fight. To suggest that any of our policy is built on the foundation of Nazi Germany today is untrue.” Mr Nash referred to the statement of the Leader of the Opposition that he would welcome the complete abolition of party politics. “So would I,” said Mr Nash. “But I have experienced five years of it. During the whole time I have been in the House I have never on any occasion used a derogatory word about any member of the Opposition. Yet I have never read a leading article in which I have not been referred to in a way I should not have been referred to. •

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland: “Oncol your Ministers referred to me as 'an assassin’ in this debate.”

Mr Nash: “That’s just as wrong.” “Unity cannot be achieved by threats,” continued Mr Nash. “You can’t expect the people you say you want to unite with to welcome you, if, day in and day out, you are damning everything they do.” The Opposition, Mr Nash said, searched every paper and every Government report, not to help, but to try to ferret out something to smash the Government. “I don't want to talk much about elections,” Mr Nash continued. “We have on several occasions invited the Leader of the Opposition to join the War Cabinet. . . .” Mr Holland: “Would that increase the war effort?”

Mr Nash: “If you came in with an open mind and stopped underhand criticism, I think it would.” Mr Holland said that the Opposition had said that it would give up criticism if the other side would do the same. Mr Nash: “The Opposition is urging that there should be a National Government, and is continually sniping and trying to undermine the Government at the same time.”

“IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.” “I am not going to say whether there; will be an election or not —it would have to be by consent, but it might be possible to avoid an election if there was complete unity in the War Cabinet,” said Mr Nash. "What you say, then, is that if there is no National Government- and the Leader of the Opposition joins the War Cabinet, you will save an election?” asked Mr Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga). “I do not say that.” replied Mr Nash. “But if the Leader of the Opposition joins the War Cabinet there will be a better chance of unity in this country.” In answer to another question. .Mr Nash said that the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, had promised that he would study the existing circumstances in the United Kingdom, the Middle East and in 'America, and when he came back he would weigh them up and decide what would be best. He could not say when Mr Fraser would be back, but he thought it would be some time next month.