Parliament Pays Tribute

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32050, 26 July 1969, Page 46

Parliament Pays Tribute

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Parliament paid formal tribute today to the late Attorney-Gen-eral (Mr Hanan).

Mr Hanan, who died in Cairns yesterday, was also Minister of Justice, Minister of Maori Affairs and Minister of Island Territories. Members of Parliament from both sides of the House praised the reformist measures Mr Hanan initiated and completed. The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) described him as one of the most constructive, imaginative and creative Ministers of the Crown in New Zealand. Sincerity and humanity were the keynotes of his administration, the Prime

Minister said. He had a brilliant reign, a brilliant mind, was a seeker after the truth and a man determined to make reforms. "He was a crusader and an enthusiast," said Mr Holyoake. “To me he was sometimes a torment but always a joy—perhaps he was one of the most 01 tstanding individuals of our time and of this House.” The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) speaking on behalf of the Labour Party, said he would have left no stone unturned to defeat Mr Hanan because he opposed the Minister’s policy, but this did not detract from the respect the Opposition had for him.

The four Maori members oil Parliament, Mr A. H. Nord meyer (Lab., Island Bay) and the Leader of the Social Credit Political League (Mr V.

F. Cracknell, Hobson) were the other Opposition speakers.

Speaking on behalf of the Maori people, Mr M. Kata (Lab., Northern Maori) said that over the last few years! Mr Hanan had erased from; the statute books legislation' which had hindered the progress of Maoris and had reawakened in Europeans the need to intensify the advancement of Maoris.

Most people only remembered the times when there had been disagreement between the Maori people and Mr Han m, but there had often oeen whole-hearted agreement.

The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) said Mr Harau had been modest about his capacity as a iawyet, but had he lived a few more weeks he would have become a Queen’s Counsel. “It would have been an honour richly deserved,” Mr Marshall said.