National Party Pledges Fulfilled

Northern Advocate, 26 April 1944, Page 3

National Party Pledges Fulfilled

Visiting Northland for the first time since the election, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) was accorded a great reception when he was the principal guest at a con - versazione arranged by the National Party in the Whangarei Town Hall on Monday night. Attendance exceeded ail expectations and additional acccmrnodnticn had to be provided. In a spirited address Mr Holland, who was accompanied by Mrs Holland, Mr A. J. Murdoch, M.P. for Marsden, and Mrs Murdoch, Mr S. W. Smith, M.P. for Bay of Islands, and Mrs Smith, Mr T. C. Webb, M.P. for Kaipara, and Mi’s Webb, and Mr T. G. Kaipara, and Mrs Webb, and Mr. T. G. Wilkes, the general secretary of the party, emphasised the need for greater production to assist the gallant people of Britain and the launching of the second front in Europe, and warned of the dangers of the Government proposal to abolish the country quota of representation in Parliament. He spoke reminiscently of the past session and paid tribute to the support given him by Parliamentary members of the party.

Inspiring Leader

Welcoming Mr Holland and his associates, the chairman of the Marsden Committee (Mr H. W. James) said that Northland was the most loyal portion of the Dominion as far as the National Party was concerned as it had captured all four Northland seat£ in Parliament. In Mr Holland the party considered it had a leader of which all members could be proud. He had had the most difficult time of any National Party leader, but he had never once made a mistake and members of the party and many others were looking forward to the day when he would again visit Northland, not as Leader of the Opposition but as Frime Minister.

When Mr. Holland had last visited Whangarei he had been the leader of a small team which now had grown and would continue to grow still further until Mr,'Holland would become leader of the Government—and not before time, said Mr. Murdoch, in adding his welcome to Mr. Holland and the other members of Parliament. As the leader of a powerful Opposition, Mr. Holland had proved himself during the last session, never missing a point or missing an opportunity, in the next session the weight of the Opposition would he felt to even greater extent. Scattering Labour The National Party had scattered some of the Labour members, one as far as Russia, and another to Australia, and an even greater scattering could he expected in the future. When the National Party took over the reins of Government there would be ft cessation of the policy of hush-hush and censorship which had characterised Labour’s administration. If the National Party had not received the support it did at tlie last elections. New Zealand might well he in the same position as Australia now found herself regarding censorship, Mr. Murdoch concluded. Expressing appreciation at the warmth of the welcome accorded him, Mr. Holland recalled that the former member for Marsden had stated that he welcomed visits to his electorate of the Leader of the Opposition, as they did him good. “I did not know then that there was an Australian appointment in five offing," Mr. Holland remarked. "I am convinced of one thing—that the National Party will provide the next Government of New Zealand," he continued. “The party owes a. debt to Northland for giving it a clean sweep at the elections, and is indebted to Marsden for giving it Air. Murdoch, whose wealth of experience has already made itself felt in Parliament." Mr. Holland paid tribute to Mr. Smith and Mr. Webb for their work during their first session in Parliament, and said that the Opposition had never been stronger than at present, with its virile, young members. Independence of Action The National Party had brought something new to Parliament —not wholesale condemnation of Government measures, but a policy of judging a measure on its merits and voting for any that was considered for the benefit of the country. No member of Parliament could he honest if lie condemned everything, and the Opposition supported the Government when it introduced a good measure. P.ut Government members had never had one good word to say of the Opposition, or of the Opposition members, although many proposed amendments advanced ha l been adopted. Speaking of the recent, stonewall tactics on tin' Local Elections Hill, Mr. Holland said that when the National Party considered a measure was not in the interests of the people it would fight by every mc-ans in its power in ihe House. He was proud of the teamwork of Opposition. members in fighting the recent Bill, and he illustrated what had been achieved by the stonewall tactics by displaying a 1 c-opv of the P.ill marked and amended as 1 a result of the work of the Opposition. Parliamentary members of the National Party were free to vote according to tHo 1 dictates of their conscience, and in one J division on another Bill a member of the '■ party had voted with the Government 1 without, any censure from his colleagues, j who admired him for his action. j Leading Empire j Personally he had always held the view j that no Bill should reach the Statute j Book until it had been supported by half , the members of the House on a free vote. To that end the National Patty was ( working and was leading the Empire, in 1 leaving members to vote according to the ( dictates of their own conscience, as 1 pledged before the elections. , Mr. Holland concluded by stating that j he was proud of Northland, which had , given such a wonderful lead to the Do- j minion, and thanking those concerned for ( the arrangements made for his visit to Whangarei. Since leaving Auckland, Mr. Holland has spoken- at Kumeu, Helensville, Albany, Mairangi Bay. Brown’s Bay. Bir-1 \ kenhead, Puhoi. Warkworth, Matakana. \ Pamkao and Whangarei. At Parakao on t Monday afternoon, 135 people listened to < Mr. Holland, and after passing him a i vote of thanks, accorded him musical < honours and cheers. Mr. G. O. Dysart « presided. Luncheon was served to all j who attended. (

Tomorrow Mr. Holland and his party will leave for Dargraville. and after speakins- in the Kaipara electorate, will so to Bay of Islands electorate before returning- to Whangarei on May -1.