State House For Defeated M.P.

Northern Advocate, 6 September 1947, Page 2

State House For Defeated M.P.

(Special) WELLINGTON, This Day. To substantiate his allegations that there had been political interference in the allocation of state houses, Mr A. S. Sutherland (O—Hauraki) produced a copy of a letter during the financial debate in the House yesterday.

He said he had been asked for proof of his statement made a couple of weeks ago. He did not have the proof with him at that time but he had it now and he wished to dear his character.

Mr Sutherland then read a copy of the letter stated to have been written by Mr J. Thorn, then a Parliamentary under-secretary, concerning the allocation of a state house to enable Mr F. Frost, formerly Government member for New Plymouth, to return to Auckland after his defeat in the 1943 election.

The letter concluded: “I hope if you ever become an M.P. and lose your seat and are at a loose end, I will be able to help you similarly.”

Mr Sutherland made reference to the large number of Government members of Parliament with state houses. He maintained that they could not possibly have got houses on their salaries unless there was political pressure.