Mr O’Regan Says Mr Fraser Gave Him Full Support

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 November 1949, Page 8

Mr O’Regan Says Mr Fraser Gave Him Full Support

While the Postmaster-General, Mr Hackett, had been thinking up “some utter rubbish” (the story that the National Party intended to sell the broadcasting service), the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, had recently had one or two. lucid moments, said Mr P. J. O’Regan, National ■ Party candidate for Westland, in his address at Hokitika last night. Mr Fraser had’ told his audience at Blenheim, added Mr O’Regan, that New Zealand could not blame’ the previous Government for the slump and that if another one came all the Labour Government could do was to try and protect the people. Subconscious Truth “That is a complete somersault,” added Mr O’Regan. “I don’t know whether the bumps of a rough air trip forced a subconscious truth to the top of Mr Fraser’s brain or not, but the real reason is that he is rather appalled by what is happening to his opposite' numbers in England, who went into power with the same Socialist kit of tools.” “What Mr Fraser said at Blenheim is exactly what I have been trying to tell Mr Kent since he opened his campaign at Kumara and told his hearers that the National Party was responsible for the last slump and would cause another' if they got back into power,” added Mr O’Regan. ' The speaker dealt gt some length with Mr Hackett’s statement regarding the alleged agreement to sell the broadcasting service to New Zealand newspapers. He said that Mr Hackett had been doing a little political crystal-gazing and had dug out a figment of his imagination. He (Mr O’Regan) was, of course, a member of the National Party and knew the mind of the party to a certain extent. That story of Mr Hackett was a complete fabrication. “Dream About It”

The Labour Party, continued the speaker, had a sort of horror of the newspapers. They used to think that “capitalists” were making pots of money out of newspapers, so they got several of their Swn. They had an array of Ministerial talent on the board of directors, but even with the Reserve Bank they found it very difficult to balance the budget. In fact, they could not balance the budget of the Southern Cross, in spite of the fact that it had plenty of circulation. So, said Mr O’Regan, they went to bed at night and dreamt about it, producing hallucinations such as that the National Party was going to sell the radio service to New Zealand newspapers. That was utter rubbish, and Mr Hackett knew it.

Enthusiastic Meeting; Mr Nash At Auckland

AUCKLAND, November 28 (P.A.). —An enthusiastic audience of 1800 filled the Majestic Theatre this evening when the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) gave the last of his series of election addresses in Auckland. Ovation followed ovation as Mr Nash walked to the stage. Not a single, audible, hostile interjection interrupted his two-hour speech. * A motion of thanks for a “very explanatory address on Labour's policy” and confidence in the Labour Government was declared carried unanimously. The Minister was cheered by the throng oqtside the theatre as policemen opened a passage for him to his car. “Is there anybody worse off than in 1935?” asked Mr Nash at the outset of his speech. The answer was a thunderous “No.” Mr Nash said he did not share the anxiety of the Leader of the National Party (Mr S. G. Holland) that the country might not be able to afford £46,250,000 for social security. The country would not have been half as well off without it. Labour’s policy was to provide for maximum individual happiness through maximum individual opportunity. Discussing taxation, Mr Nash said administration costs were higher than when Labour became the Government but it did not take any more in each £.