‘A JOLLY NUISANCE’

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 221, 5 September 1929, Page 6

‘A JOLLY NUISANCE’

QUESTIONNAIRES TO Ms.’P. MOVE FOR ELIMINATION. A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. IBy Telegraph—Special to "Tribuna."! Parliament Buildings, Sept. 5. Should candidates for Parliament have to submit to a bombardment by questionnaires at election time? This interesting point was discussed in the house ot Representatives yesterday when Mr. IV. J. Broadtoot (tinted, Waitomo) asked the Prime Minister whether he would confer with tile Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Labour party as to the desirability of eliminating the Parliamentary questionnaire submitted to members so frequently. The Prime Minister replier that while he deprecated the apparently increasing practice by various organisations of addressing questiouaires to members of Parliament and to candidates at elections, it was difficult to see what could be done. He would, however, have no objection to conferring with the other two party leaders if they desired to do so. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates agreed that it was almost impossible to get a solution of the problem. The public had the right to ask candidates any questions they thought fit, and it was for candidates to see that they did not compromise themselves. At any rate, if a candidate made a promise he should stand up to it. It candidates were wise they would take the advice of their party headquarters when organisations sumbitted questions to them. PUT THEM IN THE WASTEPAPER BASKET. The Hon. T. H. Wilford remarked that he always put questionnaires submitted to him into the wastepaper basket. Mr. Coates said that “old hands’’ got used to being questioned and saw to it that they did not become involved. Mr. F. Langstone (Lab. Waimarino) it is good for you?’’ “It is not bad,’’ replied Mr. Coates. “I made one or two errors in my time which I am very sorry for, but one managed to live them down and maintain the confidence of one’s constituents.”

PREMIER'S GOLDEN RULE. The Prime Minister stated that, like many other members, he entertained definite opinions about the submission of questions to candidates. He had received questions from all over New Zealand on all kinds ot things, “and 1 never answered them,'’ added Sir Joseph. “1 make it a golden rule never to answer them. I will proceed in carrying on as 1 have always done..’’ “It was useless for any man who was returned to Parliament to try to make people believe that if he answered questions either in the affirmative or the negative he would be in a position to cany his promises out. There was no more chance of dealing with questions from the standpoint of individuals than there was of trying to jump over the moon. “I answer questions on the platform and that is the only place to answer them,’’ said Sir Joseph. “That is the right place.” He could not see any solution of the difficulty because people would go on sending questions till the Day of Judgment. A series of resolutions were put to me on temperance matters (laughter). I informed the people who sent that I was not going to answer any of them. They asked ine to meet them, and 1 said ‘yes’ They put 20 questions to me one after another and I declined to answer one of them. ‘Ask me on the platform,’ I said. A day or two after they met my opponent and he answered them and he went in.” (laughter). LICENSING BILL. When the Licensing Bill came before the House, said Sir Joseph, he (Sir Joseph) was one of the strongest adherents of the advanced reform required by the trade in the Licensing Bill. (laughter). So there you see the anomalies that crop up! I was perfectly straight in my answers on the platfofm on the series of ■ questions put to me, but I was left out and the other was elected. He was ‘ticketed’ by them but opposed the views they wanted in the House.” % Mr. Langstone: “Can you tell us where he is now, Sir? Sir Joseph: “Yes: he is'in the House.” (laughter). Mr. G. R. Syke* (Ref. Masterton): Someone is looking very guilty (laughter). Sir Joseph said that if Mr, Coates and Mr. Holland met him upon the matter he would approach them with a perfectly open mind and if they could submit a proposal that would be acceptable to the House they would have done a great work indeed. ANSWERED THE LOT. Mr. C. E. MacMillan (Ref. Tauranga) snid that at the by-election in 1923 referred to by the Prime Minister he certainly did answer every question put to him. but an (Continued on foot of next column)

affirmative answer was not given to every one of them. He had answered each question as he thought fit. He had acted exactly as he had said he would act in the event of a licensing bill coining before the House. In the course of the by-election campaign people whq had been following Sir Joseph Ward around had informed him that Sir Joseph had refused to answer any questions from the platform. Sir Joseph: “Oh, no! I answered those.” Mr. MacMillan said he was only repeating what had been told him by those who had followed Sir Joseph around. Sir Joseph: They followed me all right! Mr. MacMillan: Unfortunately, they did not follow you to the polling booth. A JOLLY NUISANCE He agreed with Sir Joseph and with Mr. Broadfoot that questionnaires were “ a jolly nuisance,” but he could not see why every candidate should not treat them as Jie thought they ought to be treated. An electorate did not look so much to party as to the man. If the mnn was all right he would be elected. In tile event of another by-election in Tauranga Sir Joseph Ward might de better than last time if he answered questions in the same wnv as he (Mr. McMillanf did in 1923.