REPLY TO CRITICISM

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 195, 15 May 1941, Page 13

REPLY TO CRITICISM

Mr. Nash’s Telegram To

Mr. Holland

A reply to the telegram sent by tbe

Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Holland, to the Minister of Finance. Mr. Nash, concerning alleged political propaganda in two recent Ministerial statement*' was made by Mr. Nash yesterday. Mr. Nash said he hom'd the agreement between the Prime Minister aud Mr. Holland to reduce public platform propaganda to a minimum would be honoured, aud expressed the view that the statements complained of did not transgress that agreement in any way.

The text of Mr. Nash’s telegram to Mr. Holland was as follows:—

“In reply to your telegram of Muy 12 the agreement made between the Prime Minister aud yourself to minimize public platform propaganda for a period is in complete accord with the policy of the Government, and I hope that the agreement will be honoured. The statements made by the Minister of Industries and Commerce and Health respectively do not in any way breach that agreement. “Mr. Sullivan’s statement relative to the Industrial Efficiency Act and the import selection policy was in reply to charges made by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce —charges which the Government, and, in particular, the Minister, in their responsibility to the people of the Dominion must reply to. I have read carefully the published reports of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. If the views of the chamber are correctly reported, the Minister’s reply was not only justified but essential. The Minister of Health, Mr. Nordmeyer, simply stated that the B.M.A. was not co-operating, though many of its members were desirous of operating the medical benefits of the Social Security Act. I personally hope that agreement will be reached at an early date with the B.M.A. “I hope also that it will be possible for party politics as such to be avoided, but you will agree that it would not be in the interests of the Dominion if charges against Ministers were allowed to go unchallenged or if the circumstances relating to the operation of the policy of the Government were not made known to the public.”