REMARKS AT MEETING

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28896, 16 May 1959, Page 6

REMARKS AT MEETING

Mr Holyoake Taken To Task (New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, May 15. The Invercargill Labour Representation Committee today took the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holyoake) to task for remarks made at his public meeting in Invercargill on Tuesday night. The committee said that Mr Holyoake made “political slush statements.” The committee said it welcomed constructive criticism of the Labour Government’s administration from members of any political party or individuals. It believed that the bulk of National Party supporters, men and women of the highest integrity, must have been bitterly disappointed at the baseless accusations and Intemperate language used by Mr Holyoake during his address. The statement said that Mr Holyoake had said that the Labour Government possessed a leader who praised the Russian system of government as being the best in the world and “would if allowed to continue on its silly, socalistic way. weaken and emaciate New Zealand and tie the hands of its people. “The committee is of the opinion that any person who makes statements of that kind is not worthy of ever being Prime Minister of this country. “Do the people of New Zealand forget that Mr Holyoake visited Russia, and on the eve of his departure from that country is reported in the newspapers as having said that *his stay was far too short,* and that he invited a Communist delegation to visit New Zealand, and that when it did come its members were guests of the National Government?”