FINANCE BILL

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 147, 19 December 1933, Page 13

FINANCE BILL

HOSTILE AMENDMENT

PARTY FUNDS

LABOUR ALLEGATION

A hostile amendment to the Finance Bill was moved in the House of Representatives this morning by Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour, Grey Lynn). Mr. Lee's amendment was as follows: — This House declines to accord a second reading to a Bill which, while proposing to legalise irregular and' illegal reductions of widows', old age, miners', and EOldiers' economic flensions, and while proposing to destroy important legal rights of wage-earn-, ers under the Workers' Compensation Act, makes no provision for improving the position of the unemployed workers and their dependants, or for reducing in any way the prevalent destitution and distress. . 'Mr*. Lee said that no measure placed before Parliament had caused him the same indignation as the present Bill. While the Government coiild do nothing to help the unemployed, pensioners, and sweated girl labour, individuals known to be substantial contributors to party funds were able to obtain what they wanted. No one poured so much money into the political coffers as did insurance companies. Mr. Coates: Nonsense. Mr. Lee: The Government yielded to those who control the insurance .companies, and the newspapers. Tho Minister knows these organisations are tlie main contributors to the party funds. Mr. Coates: That is utterly incorrect. . Mr. Forbes (to My. Lee): I deny that. Mr. Coates (to Mr. Lee): You are irresponsible. Mr. Leo claimed that the South British Company had asked for the legislation, and Sir George Elliot had also asked for it. Mr. Coates: No, and there were no representations from the South British Company. • Mr. Lee: Probably one individual company made representations for the lot. Eesolutions were carried by companies, and does the Minister suggest that they went nowhere. Mr. Coates: They might have gone to the Minister in charge of the Insurance Department. ■ Mr. Lee: That's the same thing— they went to the Government. The discussion was in progress at the luncheon adjournment.!