Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, MAY 18, 1942. CUTTING OUT PARTY POLITICS.
GOOD many people will be glad that another attempt is io be made in this country to get rid of party politics for the duration of the war. The representations made to the Prime Minister by a deputation from the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Returned Services Association, and the reply made by Mr Fraser to these representations have brought up again a problem which has not been solved yet, but certainly ought to be solved. The Dominion President of the Returned Services Association, Mr Perrv, stood on firm ground when he said, in concluding his statement on behalf of Saturday’s deputation:— My association feels, as a non-party-political organisation, that the great majority of the people of this Dominion have no concern at the moment with party politics; their only concern is that all should pul-1 together as a team with one object in view, namely to win the war. This is the spirit of our fighting forces. Although there are more or less acute parly political differences in this'eonntry these have on the whole and to an increasing extent been subordinated during the Avar period, ajid paiticularly since the opening of what can only be regarded as a highly critical phase of the struggle as it affects New Zealand and its sister Dominion of Australia. There has been and is virtually universal support for every active measure, including an extending call on man and woman power and the imposition of unprecedented taxation, taken by the Government to build up and intensify the national war effort. At the same time, however, it has been suggested that in the absence of a full agreement between the two main parties a general election before the end of the present year is inevitable. In the conditions that rule at present this suggestion is outrageous. The -holding of an election at a time when the Avar in the Pacific wears its ’ present critical aspect might easily have the effect of endangering the security of the Dominion by impairing in some degree its ability to act in its own defence. This is so obvious that an attempt actually to hold an election probably would be defeated by emphatic public protests. What the people of the Dominion manifestly demand, in any case, is an undivided concentration on the prosecution of the war. They would be insane to demand anything else or anything less. As against the overshadowing need for the most powerful Avar effort of which we are capable, any differences between. our political parties are for the time being of no importance whatever. The continued existence of the Dominion is or may be at stake. That being so, it is essential that a means should be found speedily of ending political contention and avoiding an election, either on the basis suggested by the Returned Services deputation on Saturday or on some alternative basis. The leading proposal of the Returned Services Association is: — The reorganisation and strengthening of the personnel of the present War Cabinet on a truly national basis with the inclusion of men from outside Parliament, thus creating a National War Cabinet, with lull executive poAvers to prosecute a total war effort in New Zealand. AVhile the Prime Minister has stated that the Labour Party and movement will accept these proposals, the National Party and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) are of opinion that the political unity which they desire can be brought about only by the formation of a National non-party Government. It is not in fact obvious that any serious ground of difference need remain. A War Cabinet “with full executive powers to prosecute a total Avar effort in New Zealand” presumably would exercise very much wider powers than those of our existing War Cabinet —powers not greatly different from those of a National Government. In any event, a serious and determined attempt must be made to achieve the political unity which will give full effect to the national unity that already largely exists.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 May 1942, Page 2
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675Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, MAY 18, 1942. CUTTING OUT PARTY POLITICS. Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 May 1942, Page 2
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