THE ELECTION

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24043, 3 September 1943, Page 6

THE ELECTION

AVON SEAT HON D. G. SULLIVAN’S ADDRESS The Hon. D. G. Sullivan, Labour candidate for Avon, reviewed the work of the Government and of his Ministries of Industries and Commerce. Supply, and Stabilisation in an address to about 100 persons in the Rolleston street hall last evening. Mr T. Nuttall presided. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously on a show of hands. Mr Sullivan said the diversion of production in New Zealand and overseas to war purposes explained the shortages of goods with which civilians had been confronted, and also the exercise of those controls which the National Party critics and newspapers were continually referring to as unnecessarily imposed. It had been necessary to impose those controls because it was often impossible to get commodities from overseas unless assurances were given that the supplies were for the prosecution of the war Unfortunately, Mr Sullivan said, it was often necessary to lay down conditions under which manufacturers could use these commodities. It was suggested that the controls were imposed by the Government almost out of sheer wickedness and for a love of bureaucracy. That was untrue, and, in the main, those controls were the same as those imposed by the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia on their own people. Mr Sullivan said that in many respects it was a unique election, for if ever a Government stood vindicated for its legislation and administration by the course of history and the sequence of events, it was this Government. He was not referring only to the tributes paid to New Zealand’s war effort by Mr Churchill. Mr Roosevelt, and others, but also to the statements of the National Party on the domestic policy of the Government. The National Party now said it would not interfere with wages and pensions, so that the vital things which had separated the Government from the Opposition would be retained by the National Party if it assumed power. It was an amazing transformation. The National Party had to admit that what it had done was wrong, and that what the Labour Party had done was right. Probably the greatest objective in his whole public life had been the development of New Zealand’s industries both primary and secondary, said Mr Sullivan When he became a Cabinet Minister, the wheatgrowers were get ting 3s IOJd a bushel; now they were getting 6s IJd. plus Jd insurance He had always advocated the development of manufacturing industries, because there was no other way of raising the standard of living than- by growing things and making things. In the last seven years more than 1000 new factories had been opened, and from 35.000 to 37,000 more people had been employed Factory output had doubled Now they were able to help their British, their American, and even their Russian allies with supplies which they could not have made if it had not been for the development of New Zealand secondary industry Among other things. New Zealand was building some hundreds c little ships for the Roval Njvv and the American Navv Mr Sullivan said the Government was criticised because it had mobilised too many men for military and auxili ary services, but it wao easy to be wise when the Japanese menace was pass ing a nd there vas no nrotest when New Zealand was facing the danger of The been faithless if it had not taken the action it had fo the defence of New Zealand. Asked if it were true that the New Zealand Government received £SOO for every airman sent overseas Mr Sullivan ‘said the statement was incorrect. Actually New Zealand was payin'; large sums for the maintenance its forces overseas.