BITTER ATTACK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23103, 30 July 1938, Page 15

BITTER ATTACK

MR. SEMPLE'S OUTBURST WOMAN'S POLITICAL VIEWS DEFENCE BY MR. BODKIN MINISTER TAKEN TO TASK [ 11V TKI.KORAI'H —SI'KCIAL ItKPOHTKIt | WELLINGTON, Friday "Is it right that because a lady expresses her political point of view in a public assembly she should have her character vilified bv a public man?" asked Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Opposition—Central Otago), when referring during the financial debate in the House of Representatives to-day to the attack made last night on a woman member of the National Party by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Seinple. During his speech in the debate last night Mr. Seinple said lie had in his possession a paper published at tho Pukeora Sanatorium and this revealed that a woman, who was stated to have been officially connected with the Dominion organisation of the National Party, had addressed the women patients in tho sanatorium. It was stated that sho had cited Labour's opposition to freedom and drew tho in* ference from an alleged socialistic book in her possession that Labour proposed to destroy legal marriage and that in this way children born under some future Labour regime would bo illegitimate.

Mr. Hamilton's Position "I want to ask tho Leader of tho Opposition will ho repudiate this woman?" asked Mr. Seinple. Tho Hon. A. Hamilton: 1 have never heard of her. Mr. Seinple: Well, sho knows you.

"This is tho foulest indictment ever uttered against a political party in this country," said .Mr. Sample. "The woman is not fit to be at large, let alone to get to the bedside of sick girls and administer this poison. What this woman has said is a black and infamous falsehood. It is the duty of the Leader of the Opposition and his followers to repudiate this woman. She has too vile a character to be called a woman. To tell the nation we are to become a race of perverts is the foulest indictment ever uttered." "An Amazing Attack" Speaking to-day Mr. Bodkin said that Mr. Seinple's attack had been based on hearsay evidence and had been made under the shelter of Parliamentary privilege. "I wish to express my utter amazement," Mr. Bodkin said, "that a member of this House, speaking from the shelter of Parliament, should make a bitter and personal attack on a lady citizen of this country. I know the lady and everyone who knows Iter respects her and it is therefore all the more amazing that she should have been attacked by the Minister of Public Works simply because she belongs to a different school of thought. The Minister was not even quoting from a report of tho speech. "I understand that the lady was criticising Communism and its effect on women," Mr. Bodkin added, "and 1 want to remind tho Minister and members of this House that one of the fairest criticisms of Communism ever made in this country was made in a broadcast sermon which the president and secretary of a Labour union promptly interpreted as an attack on the Government. And when a lady citizen of this country addresses a ladies' meeting and criticises Communism—"

The Minister of Lands, the Hon. F. Langstone: And applies it to the Labour Government.

Mr. Bodkin: When a lady is attacked because she suggests that it would he in the interests of women to stand up for freedom, the people of this country will be able to understand the real worth of the .Minister of Public Works." Claim by Mr. Semple "1 have been deliberately and wilfully misrepresented," said Mr. Semple, rising to a point of order immediately after Mr. Bodkin had finished his speech. "The member for Central Otago accused me of having made my statement without evidence." Mr. Bodkin: I said hearsay evidence. "in ray speech L said 1 was quoting from a paper published at one of the sanatoria," Mr. Semple said. "It is the Pukeora Sanatorium Review and it is not an anonymous document as the names of the editors are given. Mr. Bodkin said the lady was merely attacking Communism, but according to this publication she suggested that Labour proposed to destroy legal marriage. "1 hope J have made it quite clear that my remarks were not unjustified." the Minister added. "31 r. Bodkin also charged mo with making the statement behind the protection of this House, but I will make it on every public platform in the country."