FEDERAL OPPOSITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 July 1943, Page 4

FEDERAL OPPOSITION

DEMAND FOR A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT SPEARHEAD OF ELECTION CAMPAIGN. MR CURTIN'S SUPPOSED VIEW. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) ((Received This Day, 12.50 p.m.) SYDNEY. This Day. “The demand for a National Government is generally accepted as the spearhead of the Opposition election campaign. Mr Fadden’s policy speech pledge that the Opposition will do everything possible to bring about the formation of a National Government is both wise and sincere,” says the Sydney “Morning Herald,” in an editorial. “Should neither side convince the electors that it alone is deesrving of an outright mandate to govern, such a National Government may still have to be formed.” The “Sydney Telegraph” says editorially that it believes Mr Curtin himself favours a strong non-party Government, but that he is controlled by “powers outside Parliament and not responsible to the people.” “That is why he cannot enforce the law against strikes,” adds the paper. “These leapt to the staggering total of 2,143 for the first three months of this year, involving 856,000 people and the loss of 268,299 working days, compared with a loss of 378,195 working days for the whole of last year. Mr Curtin does tolerate strikes, not because he likes them, but because under the thumb of the militants he is helpless.”