PETROL SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 285, 29 August 1941, Page 8

PETROL SHORTAGE

“About Half What We Would Like”

MR. NASH EXPLAINS

Political Organizers To Have None

"We have only got 50 per cent, of the petrol we would like,” and the situation is as bad as it can be from the petrol point of view,” said the Acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Nash, when replying to Opposition allegations of discrimination in the allotment of petrol for political organizers. "We are trying to get more, and I hope we do,” he added. Mr. Nash, who read a detailed list of licences issued for party political organizers and submitted by the Oil Fuel Controller, announced that all licences for such purposes had now been revoked.

After informing the House on the petrol position, Mr. Nash said that even in the face of present conditions the Opposition wanted petrol for party, purposes. Mr. Polson (Opposition, Stratford) : A gross misrepresentation. Mr. Nash said it was a bad thing that the Opposition talked about unity and then used the type of propaganda they were employing. The War'Cabinet had discussed the question of petrol for political organizers and there had been no unfair discrimination. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, asked what the position was concerning petrol for trade union secretaries, who for practical purposes were political organizers. Mr. Nash: You might as well cut off all supplies to organizers of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. A Government member: And secretaries of chambers of commerce. Mr. Nash: If it is not right to cut out petrol for farmers’ union secretaries then it Is not right to cut it out for the farm workers’ union. Mr. Polson: What union of workers? Mr. Nash: The New Zealand Workers’ Union. I want some consistency, that’s all. It is grossly unfair to allege discrimination when the decision on petrol for party organizing purposes was made by the War; Cabinet. Mr. Nash said the Government would not be fit to be in charge of the country if it allowed the petrol supply to be used for party purposes in the present state of what was available. Mr. Doidge (Opposition, Taurauga): What about the secretary of the Musicians’ Union Who travelled 150 miles by car from Auckland to. Katikati to make trouble for the farmers? Mr. Nash: No organizer has done it since the restrictions were imposed. He said that he would give the House a list of the petrol licences issued to political organizers. If there was to be au election he did not care how much petrol was used provided it was used wisely. What was issued would be issued fairly all round. However, there might not be any petrol for such purposes. Every word that the Prime Minister had used in connexion with the Emergency Regulations would be lived up to.

Mr. Holland: He would never have permitted this sort of thing.

Mr. Nash: He has not been here since we have been so short of petrol. He would put the national interest before party political purposes. The Acting-Prime Minister said that all that he was concerned about was the defence of the country and harmony in the war effort. They had got disruption and party politics from the Opposition to a degree that was disgusting. The Opposition had talked about unity, yet every political trick it was posisble to devise had been used to discredit the Government. Mr. Polson: You are a past master at tricks.

Mr. Nash: I am not worrying about political tricks in ordinary times, but what I think is reprehensible is that political tricks should be carried out under an affirmation of unity. Mr. Holland: You have said that you are opposed to unity.

Mr. Nash: I have never said that 1 would never have unity, but that the actions of the members on the other side of tire House have made national unity impossible. Mr. Nash was handed a list setting out the licences issued to political organizers by tbe Oil Euel Controller, aud read it to the House. It disclosed that the largest allocation was 45 gallons a month for a Democratic Labour Party organizer. The secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party bad been granted 30 gallons, aud there were several spread among all parties showing varied quantities according to the districts covered by the organizers. “I am trying to affirm,” said the Acting-Prime Minister, "that there is no discrimination. Action has now been taken to have all these licences revoked.”

Mr. Broadfoot (Opposition. Waitomo) said funds running into thousands of pounds were collected for the Labour Party by trades union secretaries, who therefore worked as political organizers. “The Opposition is grossly and deliberately misrepresenting the position about the regulations for political reasons,” said the Minister of Housing, Mr. Armstrong. The regulations were brought into being by the War Caninet. For every car owned by a trades onion secretary, organizers supporting ibe Opposition had 20 cars. Mr. Doidge (Opposition, Tauraugai said that if the situation was as serious as Mr. Nash had said, no one would ask for more petrol, if fair play was assured. "How can we take the .-icting-Priine Minister seriously when we see Government ears chasing all over the country and see them at race .meetings on Saturdays?” he asked. The amount of petrol involved in the case of the National Party organizers was a mere 5000 gallons, yet it had been computed that if Governmem cars saved a mile a day, they would save 1,000,000 gallons a year. "This is an election ramp,’' .Mr. Doidge said. “A low-down trick.” The Speaker. .Mr. Barnard: Order, order.

Mr. Doidge: I will withdraw that and say it is contemptible and despicable.

The Speaker: Order. Mr. Doidge: Very well, I’ll withdraw

Mr. Polson (Opposition, Stratford) said the controller had stated that no petrol was Io be give;, country members for electioneering purposes. Mr. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn) said that, if there was benzine for people to go to sport, people should have sufficient petrol to reach the audience of New Zealand on political questions.

Mr. Nash, replying, said the Government would not be a party to any discrimination, but it would be compelled by force of circumstances to conserve benzine for defence purposes. If there was an election there was a duty ou the Government to see that facilities necessary for transport were made available to every candidate, whether a sitting member or not. Circumstances must: depend on the state of the reserves for defence purposes.