NATIONAL LOANS BILL PASSED

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

NATIONAL LOANS BILL PASSED

Lands Development MR. NASH REPLIES TO CRITICISM

“I do not mink anything more misleading has been presented to the country than the way these figures have been twisted to deceive the people,” said the Acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Nash, when replying to the second reading’debate on the National Develop loans Bill and discussing earlier criticism by the Opposition of the cost cf land development. He admitted that there had been mistakes in a return supplied to Mr. Broadfoot (Op. position, Waitomo), and said lie was prepared to have the figures investigati d by the Public Accounts Committee. Mr. Nash said that the return was sought by Mr. Broadfoot in June, 1939, and was given about 13 months mter. 'There had been five occasions since it had been supplied when the matter could have been raised, prior to the Minister of Lands leaving New Zealand for the United States, but Mr. Broadfoot had chosen to raise it when he knew the Minister was 10,000 miles away and could not defend himself.

The Acting-Prime Minister said he uould admit some criticism was justified. There were 74 blocks mentioned lit the return, however, and 42 of them had been started by the previous Government with no anticipation that they could be made Io pay. Now, because they had not paid, an effort was made te. scare Ibe country in the .Minister’s n bsenee.

An Opposition amendment to I lie motion that the Bill be read a second time was defeated on a division by 38 votes t-> 10. Tlie amendment, moved by Mr. Harker (Waipawa), and seconded by Mr. Roy (Clutha) was: “That this House will agree to read this Bill a second time when the discrepancies disclosed between the particulars furnished in tlie return to an order of I lie House dated October 0, 1931), and those set. forth in Parliamentary Paper No. 70 ( Report on Settlement of Crown Lands for the year ended March 31, .1941) have been investigated and reported upon to the House by the Public. Accounts Committee.” The debate on tlie amendment lasted only 15 minutes, there being two Opposition speakers.

The Bill was put through tlie final stages an dpassed nt 12.10 a.m. Mr. Nash moved that the Public Accounts Committee examine the ac<mints relative to the development of lands and the discrepancies between the report and the return mentioned in the debate on tlie Bill.

This was agreed to aud the House rose at 12.11 a.m. till 10.30 a.m, today.