Budget Debate Still Continued In House

Northern Advocate, 6 September 1945, Page 2

Budget Debate Still Continued In House

(P.A.) WELLINGTON. This Day. The Budget debate was continued in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon and last night. The Land and Income Tax (Annual) Bill was introduced last night and read a first time. Mr M. Ratana (Government —Western Maori), making his maiden speech, received warm applause when he rose to speak in the Budget debate yesterday afternoon and was again applauded ten minutes later when he resumed iiis seat. He said that never before had the Maori people been so united as they were today and referred to the valuable voluntary contributions the Maoris had made to the war effort by over-subscribing the overseas drafts. He paid a tribute to the Minister for Finance (Hon. W. Nash) for his wartime effort and expressed the thanks of the Maori people to the Prime Minister (Hon. P. Fraser) for the latter’s outstanding leadership during the war and iiis leadership at the San Francisco Conference. The Maori people were pleased that the Government had put the claims and grievances of the Maoris oh a better basis, continued Mi' Ratana. Mention had been made in the House ol' the Taranaki Trust Board, which had been doing good work. It recently contributed £2OOO toward an X-ray plant, which would do good work among the Maoris in the tight against tuberculosis.

Fears Unemployment Mr E. P> .Gordon (Opposition—Kangitikei) said there was not one proposal in the Budget which would stimulate employment. Large numbers of men were due to return soon and before the Government knew where it was it would have a big unemployment problem on its hands. Mr A. G. Osborne (Government — Onchunga): Wishful thinking. Resuming the debate last night, Mr Gordon said that a great deal of deterioration was occurring on farms in many parts of the country. In the back country scrub second growth was taking possession of land which once was highly productive. This deterioration must be arrested. It had been inevitable during the war, but steps must now be taken to combat it. A particular need of backcountry farmers was better access. Seme farmers in his electorate were still waiting for a metal road after 80 years on their property. Mr Gordon urged a speeding up of the Government’s land settlement policy and considered that more inducement could be offered to parents to settle their sons on the land. Referring to taxation, he said that Australia was reducing' taxation and he asked why there could not be a reduction in New Zealand's taxation. Taxation Rod acxio l l . Miss M. B. Howard (Government— Christchurch East) said that every member of the Opposition was demanding a reduction of taxation m one breath and in another accusing the Government of the absence of rehabilitation plans. The fact was that this year it was impossible to reduce taxation when the war had just ended and rehabilitation claimed attention. She hoped it would be possible to reduce taxation, but that would be because of the war having ended now and it was merely a coincidence that next year was also election year. Miss Howard said they could wait no longer for a scheme to provide help in the home. The time was ripe for recruiting among women in the service camps. She considered that one of the camps should be retained as a training centre where elementary nursing', dietetics, plain cooking and home science would be taught. The recruits would be registered and have their own union. One of the essentials of a help in the home scheme would be to improve the conditions and status of employees. Mr H. Aimore (Independent —Nelson), after discussing import controls, congratulated the Government on its plans for taking over the Bank of New Zealand. He predicted that in ten years there would be no private bank in the world. Mr Atmore contended that if the Government had the courage not only to nationalise the Bank of New Zealand, but to proceed with other measures which would be the necessary corollary to that step. New Zealand would be shewing a lead to the world as it had done in the past.

The House adjourned at 10.30 p.m until this afternoon.