PARLIAMENT

Grey River Argus, 10 June 1943, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

BUDGET DEBATE War Finance [Per Press Association] WELLINGTON, June 9. Several urgent questions were asked and a number of notices of questions were given when the House of Representatives met at 2.30 to-day. Hon Mr. S'emple . described as a wicked, falsehood a rumour that he was a shareholder in a company owning a tyre factory which he had opened in Lower Hutt recently. Answering a question by Mr. J. W. Munro (Govt. Dunedin, North) concerning the matter, Mr. Semple said: “Seemingly, no public man is safe from these high-browed criminal slanderers. ' Neither he nor the Government had any financial interest in the company, which he had, however, encouraged to get a factory going, owing to New Zealand’s desperate rubber shortage. Answering an urgent question by Mr. J. A. 'Lee (Dem. Soldier Labour Party) as to whether he would set up a select committee to examine and report to the House on all proposed outlays for the War Expenses Account, Mr, Fraser said that it was incorrect to say, as the questioner had done, that nobody had been appointed by the War Cabinet to examine the war expenditure. This was Hon. A. Hamilton’s responsibility. The Speaker (Mr. Barnard): That is news to the House.”

Mr. Fraser replied: “The tact was' common knowledge, it having been repeatedly mentioned.” Mr. Fraser repeated his previous assurance that he would be pleased to submit the details of the war expenditure to the Public Accounts Committee. He was not in favour of establishing a special committee, such as functioned in the British House of Commons, as that would be like setting up another House Representatives. Continuing the Budget debate Mr.' W. J. Polson (Nat. Stratford) said it appeared that the Government was seeking to placate the farming class by stabilising some of their costs, but this action had come too late. Those costs should have been stabilised two or three years ago, before they nad climbed too high. The Budget had mentioned the farmer in flattering terms, but there was nothing for nim in the Budget, and the farmer could be regarded as a cynical illustration of Labour’s aim to retain power at any cost. In his speech the previous night, the Prime Minister had suggested that the Opposition would like to reduce social services, but had not had the will to do so. The day had gone when social services could be ignored. Adequate social and medicil services had come here to stay. They would not be interfered with by any government. But they might be improved. Mr. Polson made an urgent plea for the development of a supply of fertiliser from Clarendon phosphate deposits. He considered that, if he valued those deposits at one hundred million pounds, he would be underestimating the case. They were worth more than all of the gold mines in New Zealand. This one would mean an enormous increase in production. “If I have any sa’y, in it, soldiers are not going to be put away in backblocks to break in new land again,” said the Minister of Agriculture, Hon J. G. Barclay, who milowed Mr. Polson. The soldiers, he said were going to get some of the best land at a fair price, and the Government would try. to be fair to everyone. He contended that, although the Opposition also wanted to be generous to soldiers, they wanted to pay their friends,-the big landholders, high prices for land used by soldiers. The Government did not mind the State sustaining some loss, but would not help the vendors of land to’ be rehabilitated, instead of returned soldiers, as had been done in the case of the last war. Mr. Barclay defended the Internal Marketing Division, which, he said, had saved a quarter of a million pounds a 'year for the people of New Zealand in the cost of butter distribution alone. Referring to the wool position, Mr. Barclay gave the history of the negotiations with rhe British Government. He said that the wool producers had received over one million pounds more than the price which, they had said would be lair. But the growers wanted to impose on New Zealand consumers a price which was sixtv-one per cent, more than that which thetf received in the year preceding war. Any woolgrowers who suffered hardship because of retention of part of the purchase money! for wool were able to lodge appeals, and only 540 of them had done so, and the Government was paying them all in cash. Threequarters of the appeals had already’, been allowed. During the afternoon, Mr. Fraser suggested that the House that night should adjourn at 10 p.m. in order that the broadcast of news from New Zealand to the Forces in the Pacific should not be interrupted. He said it was not desirable that these nightly broadcasts to the Pacific should be interfered with ’too often, and he proposed, after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, and after members had time to consider the matter, to suggest the advisability of commencing the sitting hour at 10.30 a.m. on one additional day of the week, say Tuesday or Thursday, particularly’ during the financial debate. However, that matter could be considered next day. On Mr. Fraser’s motion the House agreed to rise at 10 p.m. that night. The Budget debate was continued in the House to-night by: Mr. F. W. Doidge (Nat. Tauranga), who said that, despite Ministerial claims to the contrary, the Budget showed that we still owed Britain many millions of money. He compared methods used in raising money in other countries with those adopted.by the present administration. Mr. Doidge said that when M. Stalin went to the Russian people with a war loan he paid them four per cent, interest. “The best that we could get out of this miserable Government is two and a half per cent.,” he added (laughter). Some years ago, he said, M. Stalin had forseen the Nazi menace, and he had then abandoned Communism for a modified capitalist system. To-day there was ample proof of the profitmaking motive in every form of activity in Russia. Mr. Doidge suggested that a time wa's shortly coming when the New Zealand Government should send a delegation to Russia in order to study’ the capitalist system there. Mr. Doidge suggested that there was a slow response by the people of New Zealand to war loan appeals.; It might be a case of chickens com- ( ing home to roost, because the Goy-1 ernment had long decried thrift in; this country, with the result that the thrifty men almost become in tne eyes of the Government, Public Enemy Number One. • ’ Mr. Doidge criticised the Government’s attitude towards the farmers, particularly that of the Minister of Agriculture. He advocated the inauguration of a priority purchase certificate scheme, to allow people to i purchase certificates, week by- week, against the delivery, of goods after the war. Referring to civil aviation after the war, he said that both Government and the people of the Dominion seemed to have gone to sleep on the matter. Surelyl it was lime for New Zealand to plead for a re-

opening of the Empire air mail setvice. Mr. Doidge asserted that this was not the time for us- to offer to the United States any hope of a perma- 4 nent basis in New Zealand. Our first loyalty was to the British EmPl The prediction that the present war would be a prolonged' one was made by. Mr. R. M. MacFarlane (Govt. ChCh. South). He stated that he had come to this opinion as the result of his experience overseas. ’Hus meant, he added, that the burdens on all of the countries, and particularly smaller ones, such as Australia and New Zealand, would be severe; and the manpower position would have to be very carefully controlled. He knew that the New Zealand Government was bearing that in mind, and was carefully considering the question of manpower. At the same time, as long as our men are overseas, and were going into action, thevi would have to be reinforced. It was absolutely essential, under such circumstances, that there should be a constant stream of reinforcements. Otherwise too great a burden would be thrown on the men at the front. Our manpower considerations must be directed to that main question. Mr. MacFarlane expressed the hope that, at some future date, it would be possible for a New Zealander to be appointed Governor-General of the Dominion. • He thought that it would he a tribute to the New Zealand - Division, and to General Freyberg, if, when a vacancy occurred, he was appointed as Governor-General of the Dominion. He sincerely hoped that such an appointment would be made, as it would be eminently; suitable from all viewpoints. Mr. MacFarlane contended that the affiliation of the Farmers Union with the National Party would clear the political ah’ in New Zealand. A large number of the farmers had, for many years, been hostile to the Government, and he thought that the propaganda of the farmers against the Government was caused by the fact that the Farmers’ Union was preparing to ally, itself to the National Party The House rose at 9.45 until 2.30 to-morrow.