STATE MEDICAL SCHEME

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23444, 26 September 1941, Page 6

STATE MEDICAL SCHEME

♦ National Party’s Opposition “GOVERNMENT NOT TO BE INTIMIDATED ” (P.R.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 25. "The bill is a people’s bill, introduced for their protection, to promote their interests and to safeguard their well-being and the Government will certainly not be intimidated by the tactics being employed,” said the Minister for Health (the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer), to-night, in an interview. The Minister was asked if he had any comment to make on the meetings of protest being held in various centres and on the resolutions condemning the Social Security Amendment Bill now before the House of Representatives. "I am not in the least dismayed at the meetings or resolutions,” Mr T'ordmeyer said. “The agitation stirr : up by the Conservatives in England against Mr Lloyd George’s measure of 30 years aPo is exactly paralleled by the National Party’s demonstration in New Zealand to-day. That party opposed the inauguration of the social security scheme, and it now opposes the completion of the scheme. I have no doubt whatever that if it receives the opportunity, the . National Party will slash this scheme to pieces. As it is opposing this bill to-day, so has it opposed every progressive measure that this Government has introduced." “On Right Lines” When the kind of people organising these public meetings began to praise the Government, it would be time for the Government to take stock, said the Minister. The opposition was a pretty clear indication that the bill before the House was on the right lines. All the agitation against the bill, the wilful distortion of its provisions, the extravagant and hysterical language of its opponents—none of those things would blind the ordinary citizen to the real value of the measure. SPECULATION IN LOBBIES RESUMPTION OF THE DEBATE “LABOUR MEMBERS DETERMINED ” (P.R.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 25. That Cabinet sat until 1.15 a.m. this morning has given rise to reports in the lobby that the Ministers are - not unanimous over the provisions of the Social Security Amendment Bill or the wisdom of proceeding with it at this stage. But apparently a majority of the Cabinet favours the measure, because it is fully expected that the debate on its committal to the Committee of the Whole House will be resumed on Tuesday. At one stage it was thought that the bill would be passed after a three days’ debate, but the opposition which has developed outside since the debate was begun indicates that a much stiffer opposition to its passing will be made by the National Party. While the principle of a universal free general practitioner scheme is not in the least likely to be altered, some amendments will probably be introduced later to the bill'by the Government. The delay in resuming the debate has given rise to wide speculations on the attitude of the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) to the bill, which was introduced in his absence overseas, but Labour members are indicating a quiet determination to make the bill law. The point is emphasised in the lobby discussions that at no stage has the Government closed the door to negotiation with the medical profession on the methods of introducing a univer* sal scheme. It is clear, however, that even If the passage of the bill had been well advanced by this stage, the benefits' would not operate as from October 1, the date set down in the bill. A considerable amount of administrative machinery is required, and it is generally known in Parliamentary circles that a delay in devising that machinery has occurred.