“Dominated By F.O.L.”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31225, 24 November 1966, Page 3

“Dominated By F.O.L.”

(N.Z. Press Association)

NAPIER, Nov. 23.

The Federation of Labour’s domination of the Labour Party had been shown in “clear, sharp and brutal relief,” the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) told an election meeting in Napier last night.

It had long been suspected that Labour was not a free agent and that its policies were dictated by militant trade unions, he said. “This year the mask had been stripped away and the reality shown.”

Mr Holyoake said the Federation of Labour’s statement calling for the withdrawal of New Zealand troops from Vietnam was described as a Labour Party statement but the F.O.L. had “bluntly” told the party this was to be the policy.

This action was followed at the party’s conference by the move to have combat troops sent to Vietnam to protect New Zealand civilian workers. The move, made by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) and Dr. A. M. Finlay was rejected. Both men had been “rudely put in their places by the trade union elements who dominated the conference.”

Mr Holyoake claimed that the president of the F.O.L. (Mr T. E. Skinner) had announced that a Labour Gov-

ernment would establish con-

trolled planning. “The federation made it clear what type of planning it had in

mind. The federation’s leader made it equally clear the federation would get the legislation it wanted with a Labour Government in office.”

Mr Holyoake said Mr Skinner’s exact words were “With a Labour Government we can get the legislative action we desire.” “Not the members of the Labour Party, nor the people of New Zealand, or their selected representatives, but the leaders of only one section of the community and a body of only one section of the community and a body not responsible to the people,” said Mr Holyoake. “It is a sorry story. It is one which must embarrass the more sensible and responsible members of the Labour Party. “A party that is obviously and blatantly dominated by a group outside Parliament is obviously unfit to govern.”