Alleged Misuse Of Cabinet. Ministers' Cars

Northern Advocate, 24 September 1949, Page 8

Alleged Misuse Of Cabinet. Ministers' Cars

WELLINGTON, Sat. (Sp.).—An accusation by Mr W. S. Goosman (0 —Piako) that Ministerial cars were being used by Ministers’ families for shopping expeditions and for taking children to school led to heated discussion .in the House of Representatives late yesterday afternoon, when the adjournment was delayed for nearly an hour. The Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) said that a previous administration had resolved that it was the prerogative of Ministers’ wives to make use of Government cars. An amendment by the Opposition to reduce the vote for the Department of Internal Affairs as an indication of the need for an investigation into the subject was defeated.

deferring to items of £17.500 for travelling expenses of Ministers and their wives and £9OOO for private secretary ies, included in the department’s estimates, Mr Goosman said a recent meeting of the Public Accounts Committee had asked that complete car hire dockets for May be laid before it. Some of the dockets, including those of the Prime Minister, the PostmasterGeneral, the Minister of Labour, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Lands and the Minister representing the Maori race, were missing, but nothing had been done about it. For the 1938-39 year, the expenses of Ministers and secretaries for car hire, air. rail and steamer travel, rooms and tips, amounted to £8366, and had increased by 1948-49 to £27,798, continued Mr Goosman. The, Public Accounts Committee had sought an explanation of the accounts to combat rumours that the use of cars was being abused, and in the absence of the dockets it must be assumed there was something in the rumours. STORIES CIRCULATING

eminent came into office it had been told a Minister’s wife could use a car. There was a resolution to that effect. He had to keep officials and secretaries at the office into the early hours of the morning. Should those people be told they had no transport home? Mr Mackley: Certainly not. Mr Fraser said he had no objection to the fullest information being placed before the committee. After further discussion, Mr Goosman moved that the vote be reduced by £5 as an indication, that a complete investigation should be carried out and a report made on the use of Government cars by Ministers and undersecretaries. APPARENT DEFEAT Lively and sometimes heated discussion continued until 5.55 p.m„ when the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) moved the closure. The Opposition called for a division and, after a misunderstanding, which made it appear that the motion was defeated by 33 votes to 32, it was found that Mrs G. H. Ross, who had been paired with Mr P, Kearins (G—Waimarino), had not been asked to leave the chamber during the division. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) solved the difficulty by agreeing that the closure should be applied.

There were stories circulating that Ministers’ cars were being used to take children to school and to do shopping. One Minister and his secretary had 120 calls for May. He thought the whole matter of the use of cars called for inquiry. The Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) said he himself would probably have 120 calls for a car in a month, and he probably used a car less than other Ministers.

A car came to bring him to his office at 8.30 each morning, and took him home whenever he was ready, perhaps next morning. Was that objected to? Opposition voices: No.

Mr G. H. Mackley (O—Wairarapa) said that on May 16, two days after the opening of the shooting season, two Ministers were in a certain place, and there was a docket for a car taking ducks and geese in a hamper to various addresses. DUCKS AND DRAKES

That went near to playing ducks and drakes with the country’s finances. On May 19, a car was used to’,take a Minister’s messenger from Parliament Buildings to a cooperative freezing company. Mr Mackley, quoting- from dockets, said, that on another occasion a Ministerial car picked up two men from different addresses and took them to the races.

. While another Minister was in the South Island, cars were used.in his name on frequent occasions in WelIliwtdn on various dates in May. Ministers’ wives were quite entitled to use cars for official occasions, and he would not put too fine a point on what Was an official occasion. IMPROPERLY USED

But it seemed to be a notorious, fact that in Wellington cars were being improperly used by some Ministers’ families. i Mr Fraser said that when the Gov-