OPPOSITION'S DUTY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 110, 5 November 1937, Page 6

OPPOSITION'S DUTY

TO ACT AS WATCH-DOGS

The ~RI. Hon. G. W. Forbes (National, Hurunui) said that the Prime Minister, resented the Opposir tion asking for' information about allegations concerning the Controller, but it was the duty of the Opposition to act as watch-dogs. The Prime Minister was the guardian of the reputation of the Public Service, and it was his duty to see that no breath of suspicion attached, to any individual in the employ of the country. All the Opposition asked for was information about allegations concerning a public servant, and the ' Prime Minister should give the House all the information he could. The Prime Minister, continued Mr. Forbes, had talked about innuendoes, but-there was no greater innuendo than that in ponnection with the previous . PostmasterGeneral and the jamming incident. It was distorted in every way. ■

The present Controller at that time had an agreement with the Government that no political propaganda should go over the air. He broke that agreement, and in doing so he forfeited his right to the trust of any Government.

When allegations were freely made about a man whom they knew to have

broken faith with the last Government, they had a .right to know the facts, and the allegations should be cleared up by the Prime Minister. "SORE WITH THE NEWSPAPERS." Mr. Forbes said that the Prime Minister was very sore with the newspapers. "I never knew that the Prime Minister was so sensitive,'" he continued. "He reminds me of a crayfish that has shed its shell. He has been complaining about the Press since he took office, but no man kas had a fairer run. Does he want adulation all the time? He said that he was not getting the notice from the Press that he should, and that something will have to be done." The Prime Minister: I did not say anything about dealing with the Press. What 1 did say was that we would find ,other means of publicity. Mr. Forbes: He said he was not getting the notice he should. The Prime Minister: I was talking about the Government. Mr. Forbes went on to say that Professor Shelley had been appointed Director, and then another man was appointed Controller who did not enjoy the same confidence as Professor Shelley when it came to programme ability. There had been complaints about the programmes. These would not have been made if Professor Shelley had had the oversight of what was going over the air. Any-good advertising agency could handle the advertising over the air as capably as the present man. In Professor Shelley's case applications were called in England and Australia as well as in New Zealand, but in the other case the appointment was niade and no one was given a look-in. Mr. Forbes concluded by saying that the Prime Minister should settle the question as to whether there was any truth in the allegations that had been made. He would not reach his goal unless he took better control over broadcasting than was proposed in the Bill.