"A CURTIN RAISER"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 200, 24 August 1943, Page 2

"A CURTIN RAISER"

LABOUR'S HOPES RUN HIGH INTERJECTIONS IN HOUSE (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The success of the Labour Government in the Australian elections was the subject of interjected comment on several occasions in the House of Representatives yesterday. One cf the Government members said it was "quite a Curtin raiser for the New Zealand election/' and when the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, repeated the phrase while the Leader c.' the Opposition, Mr. Ho-iand, was speaking last night Mr. Holland replied that the Prime Minister was having difficulties in his own electorate, and that election would prove to be a "Fraser razer."

Government members, when discussing the Social Security Amendment Bill in the House yesterday, constantly reminded the Opposition of its attitude towards the legislation when it was first introduced and of the reductions in pensions made by the former Government during the depression period. "The National party was noL the Government in those days," declared Mr. Bodkin (National, Central Otago). "This is a new party under a new leader. (Government laughter.) A large number of candidates who are carrying our colours are young men formerly prominent in the Labour party, who have left it because they objected to trade union domination." "What party were you in then?" asked a member.

Mr. Bodkin: I was a Liberal then, and I remain a Liberal to-day.