HUNTLY MINERS’ STRIKE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25589, 2 September 1948, Page 4

HUNTLY MINERS’ STRIKE

MINISTER CLASHES WITH M.P.’S QUESTION ABOUT SECRET BALLOT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, September 1. A clash between the Minister of Mines (Mr A. McLagan) and members of the Opposition led to a tense scene in the-House of Representatives this afternoon. Given leave to reply immediately to a notice of question from Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitomo) about the Huntly strike, Mr McLagan several times tried to refer to what the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) had done on previous occasions. Mr Speaker (Mr R. McKeen) said Mr McLagan must restrict himself to answering the ques- 4 tion. Mr Broadfoot gave notice to ask the Minister whether he would, with a view to ending the strike affecting the Glen Afton, Macdonald, and Pukemiro mines, cause a secret ballot to be held by the Registrar of Industrial Unions, as provided for in last year’s legislation. Mr McLagan was given leave to make an immediate reply. He said members of the Northern Miners’ Union had already taken a ballot, and the majority decision was that the strike should be abandoned and the dispute referred to the disputes committee. That being the result of an open ballot, there was no point in holding a secret one. Mr F. W. Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga): What will the Minister do to get the miners back to work? Mr McLagan: Not what the Leader of the Opposition did on a previous occasion when he made threats against the miners. Mr Speaker’s Ruling When Mr McLagan proceeded to. make further comment, Opposition members protested that the Minister was not entitled to enter into a debate. Mr Holland: I would like five minutes to reply when the Minister has finished. Mr McLagan said he was refraining from beginning any debate. The Speaker (Mr R. McKeen) said the Minister must restrict himself to replying to the question. Further remarks by Mr McLagan about the Leader of the Opposition brought Mr Holland to his feet again. He said that, if the Minister were to be allowed to debate the issue in spite of two warnings from Mr Speaker, he, as Leader of the Opposition, would demand the right to reply. Mr K. J. Holyoake (Opposition, Pahiatua) said the Minister nad been given the right of immediate reply by courtesy of the House. The course he was pursuing courted the risk of that courtesy being denied in future to other Ministers. Mr W. A. Sheat (Opposition, Patea): The Minister thought he was at a conference of the Federation of Labour. Mr Speaker said the Minister’s reference to the Leader of the Opposition might have led members to suppose he was debating the issue, but he hoped that was not the Minister’s intention. Mr McLagan said he merely wished to stress the unwisdom of making threats to miners which might prove embarrassing if the miners were subsequently found to have reasons for striking. Leaders of the Miners’ Union were, with departmental officers, doing their utmost to achieve a settlement at the earliest possible moment. Mr Doidge: Meanwhile the miners are defying the law