Ministers Under Criticism

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23378, 11 July 1941, Page 6

Ministers Under Criticism

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Progress League, thd chairman of the Canterbury Chamber pf Commerce, Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon, said that the league and other public bodies should be fearlessly outspoken in their criticism, when, convinced that the direction or the conduct of public policy calls for it; and in saying scl he merely directed public men to one of their clear duties. Nevertheless, if they perform it they run the risk, as experience shows, of being charged by Ministers with political bias'; and Mr Mac Gibbon rightly protested against the common use of this retort. He had a recent example in -mind, no doubt, when the Hon. R. Semple, having characterised critical comment on the lighting restrictions as “ more political than anything. else,” jabbed again with the statement that some members of the Chamber of Commerce were satisfied if they could “have a tilt against the Govem- “ ment.” Rut this is only one example, and not the . crudest, among the scores which exhibit members of the Government attributing dishonest, partisan motives to their critics. Two facts may be called to mind. One is that the files of “The Press" and other newspapers are a plain and copious record of the criticisms and the protests voiced by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, by affiliated chambers, and by other public and semi-public bodies against the measures and methods of other governments, and especially against those of the Coalition Government. The charge of political bias was as baseless then as it is now. Second, the leaders of, the Government have from time i to. time insisted that the last thing they want to -do is .to silence or to discourage honest critiL dsm„ and that the,thing, they, want,most-—Mr .was pleading hard for it a few weeks 'ks^ fi Mt’thl|firt is difficult single 1 significant 1 occasion on the ; 'Goip^h)fent,|i|l l/F -been witocnitt denouncing it as unworthy, "or Carping, or rash, > or ig■;nppht] v questioning the good faith of the cooiwationontfaoso terms; not bemuse criticism - w - *r -d