Manawatu Daily Times Back-Bench Financiers

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6628, 15 August 1931, Page 4

Manawatu Daily Times Back-Bench Financiers

The Budget debate which new is threatening to run into a third week—at a computed charge of £3O an hour—provides the Evening Post with a very entertaining leader dealing with backbenchers. “Wc would not venture to criticise the back-bench-ers for expressing their opinions,” says the Post by way of introduction. "They have a perfect right to do so. In fact, that is their duty. But they have a further duty—to think as well as to speak. The differences between front and back bench opinions arise principally from the fact that the former have been preceded by thought. The evidence of thought in some of the back-bench opinions is fragmentary. These critics who have spoken so hastily have yet to do their thinking, and, in some instances, their counting.” Unfortunately this is not merely a jest. It is what frequently occcurs when this backbencher or that rises from his seat to justify himself before his constituents. The Post provides one or Uvo illustrations.

Mr. A. Harris, the member for Waitemata, the most kindly and cordial of politicians, is selected for an illustration. “Mr. Harris,” it says, “found that the Government had increased taxation by £7,898,000 in three years of office. Where he obtained his figures from we cannot say. For the past year ended March 31-, 1929, taxation revenue, amounted to £17,832,033. This year the estimate ir> £18,740,000. If we add to tins £1,100,000 of the unemployment tax and £1,000,000 for the Post Office surplus (though we have shown previously that the latter is not fairly included) Mr. Harris has still £4,000,000 to find. Where has it gone? Possibly Mr. Harris will say that the Government has concealed it or squandered it. If Mr. Harris’s mathematical genius were better directed he would make an admirable Minister of Finance. He has discovered £4,000,000 of taxation which the Government Statistician and the Minister of Finance have been unable to trace.” So much for the budgetting of this cordial soul.

Then there is another budgetting saviour, one no less than the portly member for Tauranga. “Mr. Macmillan,” the Post tells us, “would raise another million from petrol taxation, not from the users, but from the dealers. We have no doubt that the Finance Minister would he truly grateful for Mr. Macmillan’s magical formula for doubling the petrol tax without the user being called upon to pay. If Mr. Macmillan has this secret he has the opportunity to apply it to the taxes on tea and sugar, to which he objects. Surely he can save the consumers, as he would save the petrol-users. “The Budget is not worth a tin of fish,” declared Mr. Macmillan. We are not prepared to assess the value of Mr. Macmillan’s constructive suggestions on a similar commodity basis, but, in passing, we would just point out that apart from petrol-tax magic his chief idea was that unearned income should pay more tax than earned.” Mr. Macmillan’s grievance is that his proposal was ignored by a soulless Government.

The Post, in fairness, wishes it to be understood that the back-benchers are not typical of the rank and file of the Reform party. “We have not referred to all the curious miscalculations and impracticable proposals submitted from the back benches,” it emphasises. “We have merely given some samples of the type of criticism which is misleading and damaging. Something better is expected from the Reform party. The leaders of the party have given something better. Their criticism has been moderate and helpful. Why should the backbenchers take a different line, copying the extravagant and irresponsible criticism of the Labour party? Is it that they fail to recognise the duty which their leader has promised to perform—to help rather than to hinder? Are they anxious .to see the Labour hopes realised?” These are queries which, no doubt, will be appropriately answered in the near future. Their constituents, if not the community at laree. have a right to know where these, back-benchers stand