Help To Britain Should Be More Practical

Northern Advocate, 6 March 1947, Page 6

Help To Britain Should Be More Practical

HOLLAND ON £10,000,000 GIFT

• n WELLINGTON, This Day. ' APPROVING New Zealand’s gesture of help to Britain, tne Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) t°day that he wo«M have preferred to see it take a more practical form than nnance. He was also critical of the Government s failure lo take all the people’s Parliamentary representatives into its confidence beforehand.

“No person with knowledge of Britain's dire straits,” said Mr Holland, “can do other than approve of any gesture to demonstrate our admiration of the British people’s sacrifices during the war, particularly when made at a time when they are passing through another crisis, which makes any expression of our sympathy cjuue timely. “It seems to me that we want to do something to provide the things Britain needs, rather than reduce her financial obligations. “Here is a great opportunity for New Zealand to remove some of the impediments that stand in the way of more production of the things Britain needs which we can easily supply. “We should say to Britain that the flew of goods from this country will proceed without interruption—a practical way of meeting immediate needs in the form they want. OPPOSITION IGNORED “The first I heard of the matter.” added Mr Holland, “was .when I saw it in the newspapers, and in the name of the Parliamentary Opposition I enter an emphatic protest at one half of New Zealand’s Parliament being ignored over a question which transcends all considerations of party politics. “The Government would have been fully justified in calling Parliament to approve the gift, for this is the people’s money, not the Government s. “Parliament will spend weeks discussing small items on the Estimates, but £12.500,000 of New Zealand money is voted away without consultation. “I frankly think we have chosen a way that will have the least practical benefit to the people we are trying lc> help.” “While £10.000.000 seems a substantial gift to make Britain, it will not put one ounce more food into the mouths of the people and will not provide one yard more clothing, which is really what the people want," Mr Holland added. More goods, and not a “book entry” would have been more appropriate.