N.Z. DIVISION

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 13056, 26 January 1943, Page 4

N.Z. DIVISION

OPPOSITION LEADER'S STATEMENT Reply By Minister Wellington, Jan. 25. Describing Mr S. G. Holland's statement concerning the New Zealand Division as "unjustified," the Minister of Supply, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan to-night made the followingreply:- "Recently at Christchurch I made the following statement: 'Every member of Parliament knows that the Prime Minister has been absolutely frank with Parliament, has told them everything and has read to them cablegrams that had passed between the Prime Minister of Britain and Mr Fraser. Every member of Parliament itself and not the Government has made the decision as to the course that is beingfollowed, and that the decision was made unanimously by Parliament without a single dissentient voice.' "Mr Holland flatly indeed blatantly—denies that the decision as to the course being followed was made by Parliament. Mr Holland's denial is the most incredible experience in my public life. I can only say, to be generous, that either Mr Holland's memory has completely failed him and blacked-out in his mind recollection of the immediate past, or he is confused as to the issue being discussed. "If I tell him the War Cabinet has accepted, and is carrying out the will of Parliament as experienced by Parliament, would he understand that? True, there was no division as he contends, but there were many features in a declaration by the Prime Minister as to what he understood the will of Parliament to be, and that declaration passed unchallenged. Perhaps that will clear Mr Holland's mind and he will' now withdraw his most unjustified statement."