NO NEGOTIATIONS

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21361, 4 March 1941, Page 4

NO NEGOTIATIONS

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT MR HOLLAND'S ADDRESS "NOT BEEN APPROACHED" (By Telegraph.—special to Tlmea) AUCKLAND, Tuesday "The position stands where it did after I spoke at Blenheim a week or so ago, when I made a straightforward proposal that both the Prime Minister and I should undertake, on behalf of our respective parties, to form a truly non-party Government, regardless of which party has a majority after the forthcoming elections," said Mr S. G. Holland, Leader of the National Party, at Auckland last night, when denying rumours that negotiations were proceeding for the formation of a national Government. “The Government has up to now consistently refused to have anything to do with a national Government and has carried on a wartime administration for 18 months, at the same time pursuing a policy of advanced socialism, until we are within a few months of a general election.” Question of Election The present Parliament was elected for three years, Mr Holland said. No one knew ,how long the war would last and he felt the only proper course to pursue was to have the elections and elect a new Parliament for the duration of the war. Then the Government could fearlessly attack the many complex war problems without constantly having one eye, as it were, on a pending election. “The people are entitled to express themselves at the ballot-box,” he added. “If the elections are postponed at this late stage, the postponement could only be for a short time, and we wouifi be little better off than we are now.” NO MOVE MADE LABOUR PARTY’S STATEMENT (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Monday In connection with a published statement that “preliminary overtures already had been made by men prominent in the industrial Labour movement to highly placed officers of the National Party and it is understood that 'the results of their inquiries were communicated to the recent Labour caucus,” Mr M. Morhan, national secretary of the Labour Party, stated tonight that no person or persons had been authorised by the Labour Party to make any approach to or interview any member of the National Party in regard to a coalition or national Government. Mr Morhan added that the matter had not been discussed by the national executive of the party.