FREEHOLD BILL RUMOUR

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25590, 3 September 1948, Page 8

FREEHOLD BILL RUMOUR

PARLIAMENT

MENTION BY LABOUR MEMBER . REFERENCE TO LEADER OF OPPOSITION (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, September 2. An allegation that the Leader of the. Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) had obtained information by “backdoor” methods and had used that information to undermine the confidence of the farming community in the Government was made by Mr A. C. Baxter (Government, Raglan) during the Budget debate in the House of Representatives this evening. He referred to a report in an Auckland newspaper that the Leader of the Opposition had twice hinted that legislation was being prepared which would interfere with the freehold. Had those hints any substance m fact? he asked. Mr Holland: Yes. They have. Mr Baxter: If the Leader of the Opposition has any information about such a bill he must have got it by backdoor methods. Mr Holland said he had not said where he obtained the information, and he was not going to be drawn. Mr Baxter: I chabge the Leader of the Opposition with making malicious statements— „ „ On the order of Mr Speaker (Mr R. McKeen), Mr Baxter withdrew, the word malicious and said he would charge the Leader of the Opposition with undermining the confidence ox the farming community in the Government by making statements without any foundation in fact. “I charge him with doing that before the bill comes down,” he said, adding that proper time for the Leader of the Opposition to express an opinion on the bill was when the measure appeared before the House. ■ An Opposition member: Well, there is to be' one then? Mr Holland: Could I ask the honourable member a question? Mr Baxter: You can answer for your sins another time.