POLITICS ON THE AIR

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 18 November 1932, Page 3

POLITICS ON THE AIR

LABOUR LEADER’S COMPLAINT,

PROTEST MOTION REJECTED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Nov. IG. When the vote for the Post and Telegraph Department was under review m the House of Representatives to-day the Leader of the Opposition, Mr H. E. Holland, moved- that the sum be reduced by £1 as an indication that the right to broadcast should be conceded 1 to both sides of the Hou'se and not confined to the Government party. He said that if the air was to be used, and he thought it should be. it should be available to all sections of the House. Prior to the Ottawa Conference Mr Coates liad delivered a policy speech on Ottawa which liad been broadcast, lie as Leader of tlie Opposition had asked for tlio same right in connection with an address ho proposed to give at Christchurch, but had received no r reply until lust before the meeting was due to commence, and the reply was practically a refusal. He had then taken the matter up with the PostmasterGeneral, whose attitude had been that the Government must have the right to use the air for policy announcements, but Ministers could be relied upon to keep clear of political issues.Air Holland referred also to para- j graphs read over the air from news-' papers and said these were practical)) confined to statements by members ot ■ the Government. . , , , i Mr Holland’s motion was rejected by 40 by MINIgTER . The Hon. A. Hamilton later replied to MV Holland’s remarks. He said there was a distinction between broadcasting a prepared statement from a studio and the broadcasting of a political .meeting. The matter was really one lor the Broadcasting Board, but he thought a request, 'from Mr Holland for an opportunity to broadcast a prepared statement' from a studio would receive veiy favourable consideration and would urobablv be granted. , , . 1 Mr Hamilton added that he thought Ministers' were entitled to somewhat o-reater facilities than-other members ot Parliament, and that the Leader of the Opposition was entitled to tle satn treatment as Ministers in the matter ot broadcasting.