PACIFIC TENSION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20635, 10 December 1941, Page 4

PACIFIC TENSION

PREMIER'S ABSENCE BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGN CANDIDATE CRITICAL (Special to the Herald.) WHAKATANE, this day. Criticism of the action of the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, in setting out on an election campaign when the Pacific situation was known to be critical was made by Mr. W. Sullivan, National Party candidate for the Bay of Plenty seat, in an address in Taneatua last evening. Mr. Sullivan referred to a personal message to Bay of Plenty electors, issued over the signature of the Prime Minister, which had been distributed throughout the electorate during the morning. In that circular, Mr. Fraser said: “It is imperative that the combined energy of the people of the Dominion should be thrown into the war.” Yet he was not prepared to form a combined Government, and he continued to dodge that issue even though the Leader of the National Party had again given a strong lead, said Mr. Sullivan.

The Prime Minister’s circular intimated, continued the candidate, that daily and hourly grave developments were expected in the Pacific. Despite this statement, at the time that circular was being printed in Wellington Mr. Fraser was on his way to the Bay of Plenty to participate in the election campaign wnich he said should not be held. Contrast With Australia The Australian Prime Minister, Mr. J. Curtin, had told all members of his Cabinet last Friday to remain at their posts in Canberra, in expectation of serious developments. The New Zealand Prime Minister, on the other hand, had left Wellington at the weekend intending to address meetings at small centres far removed from headquarters, and actually had addressed a meeting in Tokomaru Bay on Sunday night. In an emergency such as that now existing, the Prime Minister should do what was right, irrespective of party politics and irrespective of political consequences, Mr. Sullivan held. The only thing that mattered was the winning of the war.

1936 Defence Appeals Recalled

In his circular, Mr. Fraser had mentioned Brigadier J, Hargest, and referred to him as his fellow member of Parliament and a personal friend. Yet in 1936, when Brigadier Hargest had pleaded with the Government for increased defence* measures, Mr. Fraser had in effect told him that he did not know what he was talking about.

Mr. Sullivan declared that the 40-hour week at the present time, in vital industries, was “confounded humbug.” The National Party had all along advocated a National Government, and in this, as in the matter of_ the working hours, the Labour Government had been unable to co-operate, because of the domination of big trade 'unions.

Rumours had been circulated that day, added Mr. Sullivan, that he had withdrawn from the contest. There was no truth whatever in that rumour.

“I am going to the poll on Saturday, and I will take the decision of the Bay of Plenty electors as I did in 1938,” he concluded.

The meeting was well attended, and was presided over by Mr. A. F. McGoughan. A vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Sullivan.