NO POLITICS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21153, 22 July 1943, Page 2

NO POLITICS

MINISTER OVERSEAS DENIAL BY~MR. JONES ATTITUDE OF SOLDIERS (P.R.) WELLINGTON, July 22. An emphatic denial by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, that he was electioneering during his visits to New Zealand soldiers overseas was made in the House of Representatives last night. The Minister’s statement was provoked by Mr. F. W. Doidge (Nat., Tauranga) alleging that the Minister had a frigid reception from the New Zealanders in the Middle East. He quoted extracts from a letter received from one of them, which declared that there was little doubt that the Minister of Defence used the opportunity for electioneering. Mr. Speaker intervened with a direction that comment on Ministers of the Crown by persons outside the House was not permitted by standing orders to be read in the House. Mr. Doidge; How else are the opinions of the boys overseas to bo voiced if they are hot to be voiced in the House? A Labour member: Only one of the boys and an officer at that.

Mr. Doidge slated that he would bow to Mr. Speaker's ruling. From letters he had seen and letters received bv his friends, the National Party had every reason to be grateful for what the. Minister of Defence had achieved in the Middle East. The Minister of Defence. Mr. Jones, said he knew that his visit was welcomed by the men of the lighting forces. (Government “Hear, hears."). Everywhere he went he was courteously received and the men were nleased to see him and to hear something of New Zealand. He had told thorn that the people in New Zealand were fairly well oil’ and were well oil' in regard to foodstuffs, that restrictions in New Zealand were small compared to those in other countries, and that, the people had not suffered to any extent as a result of the war. War Effort in New Zealand -

He had told them of the line war effort of their people at home and of what Parliament had clone to provide for members of the armed forces on their discharge—a matter in which the men showed particular interest. They were interested in the Pacific situation and the American forces in the south Pacific, and he gave them information.

“I certainly kept away from the political situation.” added the Minister. The troops had asked him when the election would be held, and some asked whether the election should be held. They also wanted to know whether they would have the onportuoitv of seeing the policies of the parties and what the position was in regard to their voting. He had given them all the information he could on those points, but he could not say what the policy of the National Party was because he did not know if they had one.

Mr. Doidge; And you gave them yours. The Minister: No, I only mentioned what this Parliament had done in the passing of legislation which will be for the benefit of the men overseas, and I assured them that as far as New Zealand was concerned it was further advanced in regard to rehabilitation and post-war problems than anv country I had visited. Continuing, the Minister explained that ho could have gone on to parade grounds and merely seen the men, but he preferred to meet them in groups informally and had encouraged (.hem to ask questions, because it was only in that way that he could get what was in their minds. “I know,” he continued, “that some people opposed to me politically will say I was received with hostility.”

Mr. Doidge: Not hostility, but frisiditv. “There is no truth in that,” retorted Mr. Jones, who added the opinion that none of the men, if they were unbiased, would say that he used his official position to put forward political propaganda on behalf of the Government.