NATIONAL PARTY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 58, 9 March 1944, Page 3

NATIONAL PARTY

ATTACKED IN HOUSE

PART IN WAR EFFORT

By fair means or foul the Opposition were putting out their propaganda and they had a pretty good organisation, said Mr. W. M. C. Denham (Government, Invercargill) in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House -of Representatives • yesterday afternoon. ■. ■ As instances of Opposition propaganda he quoted the" story that butter had been destroyed at Nelson. That was a "cock and bull" story. Then there had been the story that the Government' was stealing - the War Risk Fund, which was another National Party falsehood., \ The most serious propaganda 'had been in a circular, which he was not going to raad, but which bore proof of his contention. To take advantage of a situation to send out a circular of that description was nothing short of Fifth Column work. - Mr. W. A. Sheat (National! Patea) rose to a point of order, 'but Mr. Speaker (Mr. Schramm) said that the member had made no specific ence.An Opposition member: A very serious innuendo. - , Mr. Denham added that it had beenclearly stated in National Party policy statements that they would not send men who had been, overseas back again so long as there were A grade men in New Zealand who had not been once. National Party - members knew perfectly well they could not put that into effect without causing a tremendous upheaval.. He hoped' the person responsible would be brought to justice. "NO MORE APPEASEMENT." The hope that there would ;be no more appeasement policy towards the Opposition was expressed by Mr1. C. H. Chapman (Government, Wellington North). He contended that the sole reason.the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Holland) left the War Cabinet was to embarrass the Government. With two exceptions the Opposition had done nothing to help the Government in its war effort. ' \ Nothing but carping criticism was received from the Opposition, Mr. Chapman continued. The Leader of the Opposition in a broadcast from Christchurch during the election campaign had used words of such _ a character that young men were misled and'adopted a course which was most regrettable. (Government hear, hears.) Fortunately the difficulty had been overcome but no help was received from the Leader of the Opposi--I(Mr. Holland raised a point of order, stating that he had been misrepresented. It was a gross misrepresentation to say that no'help had. been forthcoming from him m the solution' of certain problems which had been engaging the attention of the Government He had been in constant conSet with the Government throughout and had conferred with the War Cabinet on two occasions in an effort to find a solution to the problems m question. He had been thanked by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Supply for his action. -1