NOT UNANIMOUS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 290, 7 December 1944, Page 7

NOT UNANIMOUS

SIX VOTES TO FOUR "LABOUR MEMBERS' REPORT" (By Telegraph.— Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, this day. Full opportunity of discussing the Servicemen's Voting Report was promised by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, in the House of Representatives yesterday. He contended that it was obvious from what the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, had said that it was not going to be treated in a judicial way. "If the Opposition cares to treat it as a party matter, all I can say is 'all right, come on,'" he added. This remark was greeted with laughter from the Opposition benches, one Opposition member remarking, "St. George and the dragon." Mr. Fraser said it would be necessary for members to have an opportunity of studying the evidence and report, because it was too important a matter for party partisanship as the integrity and honour of public men and officers of the forces were involved. These were not matters that could be adjusted or adjudicated upon in a whirlwind of party prejudice. He thought it would be possible to complete the business on the Order Paper by Friday afternoon, and he would like to have the view of members as to whether they should meet again on Monday or Tuesday to take the discussion oji the report. Mr. Holland said he had had a discussion with the Prime Minister regarding the remaining business. He would like to say at the outset in regard to the Servicemen's Voting Report that although the chairman of the Select Committee, Mr. Osborne (Govt., Onehunga), had been careful to say that it was not a unanimous report, the chairman would have been more correct if he had said it was a report of the Labour members of the committee. On the committee there were six Government members and four from the Opposition, which was quite proper. The report of the committee represented the view of the six, and he had been asked to state by the Opposition members that they did not agree with it. Mr. Holland added that it would be wrong if any impression went abroad that the report was merely not concurred in by one or two members of the committee. He repeated that the four Opposition members had asked him to state they disagreed with the majority of the findings of the committee. Mr. Osborne: Haven't they got tongues themselves? The Attorney-General, Mr. Mason: Won't wo hear from the members themselves? M". Holland (emphatically): You bet you will.