‘No Difference Over Choice Of Aircraft’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31223, 22 November 1966, Page 13

‘No Difference Over Choice Of Aircraft’

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Mr J. Mathison in replying to a leading article in “The Press” on Saturday, which said that there was an important difference between the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) and Mr Mathison over the choice of an aircraft to replace the Viscount.

Mr Mathison was formerly Minister of Civil Aviation.

“In reply to a question at Milson. I said I had reason to believe that the National Government had already decided to adopt the recommendation of the National Airways Corporation and order the Boeing 737.

“I said that if the decision had been made on the basis of saving in overseas funds, operational economics and factors other than trade, then 11 agreed, on the evidence I had seen, that the decision was a correct one, and that deferring publication of the derision until after the election showed a lack of moral courage by the Government. I emphasised that the Government had shown a lack of moral courage and too much attention to political considerations on many subjects,” said Mr Mathison. “I regretted that there was no British aircraft clearly superior to the American air. craft under consideration as the Labour Party would much prefer British and that, in the light of the Wilson Government’s assurance of safeguards for New Zealand as a condition of entry into the E.E.C., we should buy British goods whenever possible. “I instanced the case where West Germany had received a substantial order for typewriters for government de-

partments where previously British typewriters had been used. I also said that even if there was a price differential, Labour would favour placing such an order with Britain.

“As 1 know there is no divergence between Mr Kirk and myself and other Labour members of Parliament on this or any other question there is no need, as your leader suggests, for the Opposition to ‘quickly reconcile their divergencies’,” said Mr Mathison.