LIBERAL ATTACK

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 256, 12 October 1932, Page 8

LIBERAL ATTACK

CANADIAN HOUSE

NO-CONFIDENCE AMENDMENT. TARIFF POLICIES CRITICISED Ottawa, Oct. 10. The -Liberal Leader, Mr Mackenzie King, brought his attack on the Government to a climax in the House of Commons on Monday by moving an amendment to the Address-in-Reply to the Speech from the Throne. The amendment reads:

“Whilst reserving any expression of view upon the merits of the agreements concluded at the recent Imperial Econ omic Conference, the House is of the opinion that the tariff policies of the present administration have seriously injured the trade of Canada and have intensified the economic depression “That the Government has wholly failed to afford a remedy for unemployment and agricultural distress as pledged by the Prime Minister; the House regrets that except for the dole the Government has no policy in respect of the relief of unemployment “Also, the House deplores the Government’s obvious endeavour by postponing the revision of the Bank Act to avoid the immediate consideration by Parliament of the all important subjects of banking, credit and currency ” THE BARGAINING METHOD.

The Liberal Leader said: “The method of negotiation was unfortunate. It was one of bargaining, and I believe the bargaining business as a matter of Imperial policy is all wrong. The nations of the Empire are one in kinship, race, sentiment, tradition and allegiance to a common Crown, and methods other than those of bargaining should be adopted, one where representatives of the Empire nations meet to discuss common problems.

“Conservative members have claimed that the Premier’s position forced Great Britain to change her fiscal policy If that is so, then the Empire is threatened with disruption. This means that one part of the Empire could dictate a fiscal policy to any other • part, for if Canada took that position towards others, other Empire nations must be conceded the right to take the same stand towards Canada.” PRIME MINISTER’S REPLY. Mr Bennett criticised Mr Mackenzie King for attempting to “depreciate the efforts of the Government action at the Imperial Economic Conference,” and said that the Liberal Leader could not disguise his spleen that a successful conference had been held in the country The discussions on the trade pacts negotiated at the conference would be comprehensive. Mr Bennett promised to table them on Wednesday, and if the Opposition desired the discussion would be delayed for a day or two to provide time for study and meditation.

Nothing that Mr Mackenzie King had said showed that the Government was impotent to deal with unemployment and falling trade. Mr Bennett declared that it was sheer partisanship to say that Canada alone was affected “Psychological influences must be set to work if the depression is to lift,” he said, and further declared that the Government, in season and out of season, had done everything to restore confidence, and he would tell the people of the country that the lot of Canadians was better than that of any other people in the world.