Row In Parliament Over S.I. Tourist Projects

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32350, 16 July 1970, Page 24

Row In Parliament Over S.I. Tourist Projects

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 15. The nearest thing this session to a real storm in Parliament blew up today over a Canterbury matter—the handling of South Island projects by the new Minister of Tourism and Publicity (Mr Walker).

Successively ha m - mered by South Island members, who called him “the Foiler” and worse, Mr Walker struck back by calling them “new boys,” and by challenging them to produce evidence that any of the three projects they referred to was soundly based.

The House was discussing a notice of motion by Mr R. L. G. Talbot (Nat., South Canterbury) “noting with satisfaction” that overseas earnings from tourism in the' last financial year totalled more than $26,000,000. Mr J. Mathison (Lab., Avon) described the motion and Mr Talbot’s speech as political propaganda. He said the Government’s tourism promotion was a dismal failure, and suggested that the Government's way was to get the promotional work done

by overseas airlines and tourist agencies.

The Travel and Holidays Association, he said, had worked magnificently, but its subsidy from the Government had remained at $20,000 a year for many years. The National Development Conference had suggested that 4 per cent of tourist receipts should be spent on promotion, but this was not being done. Mr J. M. Rose (Nat., Otago Central) said that the Tourist; Hotel Corporation had made: a profit of $285,000 last vear i He suggested that New Zealand had the world’s cheapest top-class hotels.

“The South Island no longer appears on the Minis- ; ter’s map," said Mr R. P. B. Drayton (Lab., St Albans). ; “The Minister is saying ‘No, no, a thousand times no,’ like i the wise girl in the music-hall song—except that these propositions are worth-while ones. He’d rather die than say yes.” Mr Drayton said the Minister had said no to the Hanimer Springs plan, to the idea I of a tourist hotel in Akaroa, land to a big tourist hotel for j Christchurch. ■ “He’s still a little sore at the proposals for hotel baths; at Hanmer,” Mr Drayton said., “I suggest that if he is sore, I he should go to Hanmer Springs.” Mr Drayton said Mr Walk-; er had said the plans put for-1 ward by the Canterbury Progress League were impractical. His colleague (Mr Pick-; ering) had congratulated the Canterbury Progress League on them. In one year, 90,000 people had gone to Hanmer Springs. “At Akaroa they’ve christened the Minister ‘the Foiler,’ for he has foiled every attempt to provide hotel accommodation at Akaroa," Mr Drayton said. “It is no argument that tourists do not go there. People who book through tourist bureaux do not go where there is no accommodation.” Of the big tourist hotel for; Christchurch, he commented:; “Christchurch hopes to geti the 1974 Commonwealth' Games. Those 350 beds would be useful in that argument.” j “I challenge any member on the other side of the (House to give me the name I of a man who has the section and the money to build a hotel in Christchurch," said; Mr Walker. “Let the next Labour speaker get up and give us this information—or let us have no more nonsense from the babes in arms of the Labour Party.” Of Hanmer Springs, he said: “Give me a good proposition and it will be carried out.” Mr Walker said that the ' proposition he had discussed ' was one which, its sponsors said, would need $lOO,OOO. They had later admitted that $40,000 would do. “They had i

j not one fact down on paper—’•[and now they admit their ;. plan is not practicable.” . Mr Drayton: What are you doing about the springs? s Of the Akaroa hotel, Mr 1 Walker said that there had - been only one overseas • tourist a fortnight “Would i your neighbour, the member for Sydenham (Mr Kirk), re- - gard this as a prospect for - tourist development funds?” i Mr Kirk: Yes—and I’ve ■ tried 12 years to get them. r Mr Walker asked whether [the Christchurch Labour t; members supported the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr (Seath) going to the Common- . I wealth Games, considering ' that Christchurch wanted to [be host for the next games. ■ This produced a noisy in■(terlude —the Labour Party •(had refused to grant Mr • | Seath a “pair” during his ■(overseas trip. The Speaker 5 [intervened.