SEQUEL TO PRICE INCREASES

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27225, 17 December 1953, Page 12

SEQUEL TO PRICE INCREASES

MR SULLIVAN REPLIES TO MR SKINNER “NO INDUSTRIAL TROUBLE, NO SNAP ELECTION” (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 16. There would be no industrial trouble because of the price increases, and there would be no snap election called by the Government, said the Minister of Labour (Mr W. Sullivan), speaking at Te Papapa tonight m support of Mr L. G. Bradley, -the National Party’s candidate for Onehunga. Mr Sullivan predicted that New Zealand would never return to socialism. . . - A large section of his audience of about 250 continually interrupted Mr Sullivan, but the Minister gaye as much as he took. “This Government has achieved much,” said Mr Sullivan. ‘‘ln a short term in office it has done a remarkable job overcoming many of those wicked things done under socialism. If the electors here will cast their minds back to 1949 they. will recall that New Zealand was being shaped and regimented by the Socialists in office so that it was becoming a complete socialist state. We have changed much of that. . . “I am satisfied that the spirit of independence and freedom is so paramount among the electors of this country that they will never take a second dose of socialism. “Mr Skinner said that the Government was expecting industrial trouble, and that if this happened there would be a snap election,” he added. Is there anyone in this country who would like to see industrial trouble more than Mr Skinner or Mr Nash, who want to see the Government upset? What did they do in 1951 when there was trouble and we asked for people

to stand loyally? If there is industrial trouble, where would Mr Skinner be? On the fence with the bandwaggoner. Walter Nash. . “There will be no industrial trouble, and there will be no such thing as a snap election, and as far as you who are interrupting so much are concerned you are going to have a roaring Christmas,” he said. The retailers will have the best Christmas ever, and the T.A.B. figures will be sky high, because you have all got money to spend and money to burn. “The National Party is doing fine, and faces the next election with every confidence in victory,” said the Minister. “The people of New Zealand will never again accept socialism.”