BREACH OF PRIVILEGE?

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 July 1931, Page 7

BREACH OF PRIVILEGE?

COUPON-TRADING ADVT.

t HOUSE TO TAKE ACTION r [PEG PBESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, July 10. A statement that he had been the victim of privilege “was made in the House of Representatives, this afteri noon, by Mr Lye, who said he had received a letter from an Auckland firm, enclosing proof copy of an advertisement, which it stated it was publishing for public circulation, and challenging him to repeat outside the House, the statements he had made relating to the gift coupon system during the Address-in-Reply debate. The proof copy, to which reference was made consisted of a full page advertisement containing damaging to himself and totally inaccurate. On the top left hand corner, there was a photograph of himself, he added. ■ He read the first sentences of the advertisement, as follows: “Thousands of intelligent people branded fools. Reputable traders charged with fraud. Mr Lye, M.P. for Waikato, in the House of Representatives in his wild and abusive attack upon the gift coupon system advertising, made assertions that if true, would brand many thousands of New Zealanders as fools and simpletons, 'and many reputable traders as frauds and tricksters.”

Mr Lye declared he had refused to give any indication as to the person, 'firm or company concerned, neither did he mention any commodity in the course of his remarks upon the gift * coupon system. He had been inter- ? viewed by representatives of the firm yof Bond and Bond, and had been informed that it demanded the. with'drawal of the charges he had made ' against coupon advertising. Mr Forbes said: “One of the privileges of members is that they shall have perfect privilege in discussing matters of public interest. I listenfed to the speech of the member for Waikato in regard to coupons, and he made no particular application to any firm.” Mr McCombs: He was even en'titled to name the firm if he chose.The Prime Minister said that so far as the House was concerned it was its duty to go into the -whole question and see what could be done to safeguard the privileges which all enjoyed. The Prime Minister added that in his long experience of Parliament he could not remember an occasion when any member abused

the privileges. He moved that the letter of July 9, addressed to Mr Lye from Bond and Bond, Auckland, is a breach of the privileges of this House. The Clerk of the House thereupon read the letter, which stated: “We enclose proof copy of the statement ■we are publishing for public circulation, and which deals with your unwarranted and slanderous statements regarding our gift coupon system, in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 30, during the Address-in-Reply debate. We challenge you to publiclj' repeat your statements outside the House, naming our company as the firm you referred to, and so give us an opportunity to seek legal means of redress for the injury and expense you have occasioned us by the statements referred to. We would be interested to have your reply to the challenge we make in this letter. Yours truly, Bond and Bond, Ltd.' H. V. Coe, manager.” Mr Munns stated that he had had

an interview with the representative of Bond and Bond, and had advised him not to publish the advertisement. Mr Downie Stewart remarked on behalf of his side of the House that they agreed to the proposal of the Prime Minister. The Leader of the Labour Party, (Mr Holland): I cannot understand why the newspaper which publishes the matter is not equally guilty if there is guilt. The Prime Minister: There is no proof yet it has been published in a newspaper. Mr Lye: It appeared in this morning’s “New Zealand Herald.” The Prime Minister: So far as the motion is concerned, it covers the documents that have been received. We would not include a. newspaper which is not in our possession. If the matter is referred to a committee they can decide what further action to take. , The motion was adopted and a Com‘mittee of Privilege, consisting of Messrs Forbes, Bodkin, Jones, Wright, Barnard and Fraser, was appointed to ’inquire into the case.