NO TRUCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 137, 12 June 1941, Page 5

NO TRUCE

POLITICAL PARTIES

MR. HOLLAND'S STATEMENT,

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. \ An allegation that the Press of New Zealand was indulging in widespread anti-Government propaganda > and thus hampering the war effort and arousing class strife, and refer- : ence to a political truce between the parties, by Mr. Denham (Government, Invercargill) in the House of Representatives yesterday, drew from the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Holland, an emphatic denial that there had ever been a political truce. Mr. Denham gave notice to the!, acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Nash, that) he would ask him to define to thej House the nature of the political truce entered into with the Opposi-, tion at the outbreak of war, wherein! party politics would cease so that ; the maximum national war effort! icould be given: and that he would; also ask the Minister to say whether; the Government members were to! remain silent and let go unchallenged those citizens who were openly seeking to sabotage the Government, and whose tactics were tantamount to the work of fifth columnists. The Leader of the Opposition; immediately rose to a point of order| as to the propriety of a member ofj the. House stating things in a question that had no semblance to fact! whatever. (Government laughter.) j

! Mr. Holland said there was a refer-j ence in the question to a truce between the party leaders since the outbreak of the war. "There has never been anvthing of| the sort," added Mr. Holland, "andi surely the member ought to know." Mr. Speaker pointed out that he was not responsible for any suggestion in a question. He was concerned only to prevent reflections upon members, and he was satisfied] I that in this instance there was no ] such reflection. ; Mr. Doidge ( National. Tauranga):| There is reference to fifth columnists.! The question was placed on thej iorder paper. . I