Why a New Liberal Party?

The primary object of the formation of the New Liberal Party is to win the constitutional reforms necessary to complete and render harmonious the system of government which has its basis in adult suffrage and by insisting upon clean and efficient administration, save the political life of this beautiful country from the maelstrom of corruption which has grown Fankly in older lands, owing to the neglect of the people to keep a "strong hand" upon the moral tone of Parliament., and because party and not national interests have dominated the individual politician.

These objects are amongst the ideals of the small group of members of the present Parliament who are striving to arouse an interest in political issues and to win the return of men at the approaching elections whose love of country means sacrifice of time, health and money, and who will act always as though the people of this colony were really members of one family.

New Zealand for New Zealanders. The nation, not the party, must be the watchword of any party worthy of being entrusted with the power of controlling the destinies of the Britain of the South.

The "indecision" and "lack of resolution" in the cause of reform displayed by the present Ministry is so universally admitted as to need no detailed argument. The consequences of the Government's abuse of the power entrusted to it by which the Legislative Council and the Cabinet is created has hastened the demoralisation of the Liberal party. During the last five or six years the whole efforts of the Ministry, as the official head of the Liberal party, seem to have been directed to securing the perfecting of the party machine, the design of which machine is to perpeuate the Ministry of the day, without any regard to the question of any political principles they may represent. The increasing tendency to approve of candidates who desire to enter Parliament under the nomination of the Liberal party, simply because they pledge themselves to loyally support the personality of the Premier renders it impossible for anyone inside or outside Parliament to know what fate is likely to befall any proposal brought before the House.

Emerson has rightly said that "personality perpetually corrupts party," and New Zealand politics have supplied brilliant proof of his contention during recent years.

The vital forces of the Liberal party of 1890 have exhausted themselves, and if a period of power is not to pass from the people, the men and women who desire progress and who are willing to strive for the adoption of high ideals in the administrative sphere should be prepared to give a cordial, generous and strenuous support to the men who are fighting at this general election for the success of the principles enunciated by the New Liberal party and the men who fight under the banner of the new party.

A few months ago some eight members of the Liberal party arranged to co-operate to secure certain reforms which are embraced in the published programme of the New Liberal party. Four of the eight members stipulated that they should, on questions involving the fate of the Ministry, act independently. Since that arrangement was made the turmoil arising out of (and which has been deliberately fanned into a blaze by interested newspapers and politicians) what is known as the voucher page 33 incident lias induced them to withdraw from the arrangement, and they have practically resumed their allegiance to their former party. Believing in the honour, experience and integrity of the four officials in the Christchurch Post Office and acting upon their sworn testimony, Mr F. M. B. Fisher, a member of the New Liberal party demanded information regarding the payment of money represented by the voucher, to the existence of which the officials referred to testify. A flood of editorial and political vituperative abuse has been directed towards the New Liberal party in this connection. It is not my purpose here to discuss the details of the voucher affair, but I am certain that, despite the seeming solidity of the certificates of Treasury and Defence officials, and the emphatic report of the Auditor and Controller General, the departmental and secret inquiry of which the report referred to is the outcome, has failed to give the public satisfaction. The positive testimony of four living, experienced, honourable and capable Civil servants cannot be destroyed by the negative testimony of any tribunal departmental or otherwise. The hysterical journalistic outbreak over the affair lacks dignity and real force, and is one of the most disgraceful attempts ever made in this colony to silence a Parliamentary minority in the discharge of their Parliamentary duties. The attitude of the journalistic and political antagonists of the New Liberal party on this question has lowered the tone of Parliament, and seems to have been designed to intimidate members who have hitherto dared to challenge the quality of the Government's administration.

To-day, in spite of the storm of invective directed against them, Messrs Bedford, Fisher, Laurenson and Taylor continue to urge upon the electors the need for a complete change in the colony's administration. We don't want a few patches upon the unhappy conglomeration known as the Seddon Ministry. We want a New Liberal party and a new executive that shall be the choice of such party, fourteen years of continuous power is too long in a democracy for any set of men. It has resulted in New Zealand in a Ministry, lacking in efficiency, initiative, courage, and moral character.

The New Liberal party appeals to the young New Zealand elector to enter this general election contest with vigour, and assist in returning men to the next Parliament who stand for ideals which embrace the constitutional and legislation reforms for which the New Liberal party is contending, and for an administration that shall not be comparatively honest, but absolutely honest, and as efficient as the deliberate judgment of the Parliament can secure under the provision of the elective executive reform which is a crying need of the colony's political life.