PARLIAMENT NELSON RAILWAY PROJECT

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29240, 25 June 1960, Page 14

PARLIAMENT NELSON RAILWAY PROJECT

Opposition Allegation Of Illegal Work

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, June 24.

Opposition charges that the Government was authorising illegal work on the Nelson railway were made in the House of Representatives late this afternoon.

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holyoake) and other Opposition speakers claimed that present work on the railway was construction work which the Auditor-General had declared illegal.

The Minister of Finance (Mr Nordmeyer) denied the Government was doing anything illegal.

He said the Auditor-General was satisfied with the assurance of the Commissioner of Works that present work was only prelimin-

ary investigation work. The Prime Minister (Mr Nash), the Deputy-Prime Minister (Mr Skinner), the Minister of Works <Mr Watt), the Minister of Railways (Mr Moohan), and the member for Nelson (Mr S. A. Whitehead) refused to answer Opposition speakers who asked if construction work on the railway had started. The House was debating an Imprest Supply Bill authorising current Government expenditure. The bill was eventually passed at. 6 p.m. without a division. Earlier fears that the Opposition would force a division made the Government whips send out urgent call for Labour members leaving to catch planes and buses home for the week-end.

•The Auditor-General’s report, tabled this morning, said there wjls no authority for spending money on construction work on the railway until Parliament passed a special bill, which Mr Nash said would be introduced lifts session. Tlie Auditor-General (Mr A. D. Burns) said his office had approved present expenditure on the railway on the assurance of the Commissioner of Works that the work was only preliminary investigation work and not construction work.

But Opposition members questioned an item of £500,000 transferred from the National Development Loans Account to the Working Railways Account in the Imprest Supply Bill.

They asked if this was for construction work on the railway. Government members did not say what the amount was for. Mr Holyoake said: “This is an extraordinary situation. We are entitled to information on this capital work costing, we are told, between £lO million and £lB million. I’ve never seen a.situation like this before.” Question of Contract Mr J. K. McAlpine (Opposition. Selwyn) asked Mr Nordmeyer if any contract had been let for construction work on the railway. Mr Nordmeyer: I’m not aware which work is being done by contract or other means. All I know is that the Ministry of Works is undertaking certain essential preliminary work in in that area in connexion with the construction of the Nelson railway line.” Mr Holyoake asked Mr Watt if there was construction work going on in Nelson.

Mr Watt did not reply. Mr Holyoake: I ask the Deputy Prime Minister. I ask the Min ister of Railways. Neither replies.

Mr Holyoake said he had inspected work on the railway at Nelson. “There was construction work going on. There was reclamation work at the site of the station,” he said. “The Minister of Finance knows it is not preliminary investigation work. It’s construction work. The Minister of Works has been there. Does he consider the work he saw construction work? “Has the Deputy Prime Minister seen the work? Does he consider it construction work?” Mr Skinner: I take the Commissioner of Works’ word that it is not.

Mr Holyoake: When the Prime Minister attended the ceremony at Nelson and emptied the first load of dirt into the sea. was he under the impression it was only preliminary investigation work? Or did he think it was the commencement of construction? When Mr Nash did not answer. Mr Holyoake said. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. We are entitled to the information.” Mr Nash: The answer is contained completely in the AuditorG ‘neral’s report. Report Read to House

Mr Nash then read the report’s reference to the railway. Mr McAlpine said Mr Watt must know if he had let a contract to anyone to undertake construction work on the railway. “He should tell us,” said Mr McAlpine. “I want to know from the member for Nelson whether there is any construction work going on in Nelson. He saw the Prime Minister tip the first spoil and say construction work had started.’’

Mr Whitehead: There’s a lot of destructive work there. •The Government is making a concerted effort to deny the Opposition and people the information they’re entitled to,” Mr McAlpine said. “There isn’t one Cabinet member who can tell the difference between preliminary work and construction work. What an example of brains and efficiency.” Mr W S. Goosman (Opposition. Piako) said Government members knew the answer, but were “hiding behind a civil servant.” The bill was then passed.