ATTACK BY MR. LEE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23699, 4 July 1940, Page 11

ATTACK BY MR. LEE

AMENDMENT MOVED

ORTHODOXY OPPOSED NO USE OF PUBLIC CREDIT [by TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL HF.POnTF.It] WELLINGTON, Wednesday "This Budget is orthodox and more than any Budget produced by the Labour Government it shackles NewZealand to financial orthodoxy, even granted that it contains some excellent features," said Mr. J. A. Leo (Democratic Labour —Grey Lynn), who was the third speaker in the debate in the House of Representatives to-night. "Millions can die, nations can perish, the Beast can straddle Europe and, as Mussolini said, the black ■wings of bombing aeroplanes can blot the sun from the sky, but here in New Zealand orthodox financo must prevail," ho added. Reasons lor Amendment Mr. Lee moved an amendment to the motion that the Speaker leave the chair. He submitted that the Budget proposals were not acceptable without further amendment, in that they made no provision for tho use of tho public credit to increase internal production, they increased the burden of internal debt, the system of finance outlined in tho Financial Statement was not cal-) culated to enable tho rehabilitation of the soldiers after tho war at the standard which was their right, and they would reduce, without adding to tho country's war effort, the consumption of food and other necessaries of life in thousands of New Zealand homes. 'T heard the Prime Minister say £400,000 was .to be used for irrigation and so many millions for housing," Mr. Lee said. "All those millions bring into existence goods, add to our purchasing power, and yet, as I see it, this Budget proposes to borrow even for housing. There is no reason why tho people of New Zealand should be unnecessarily bled to provide that money, because tho cost will more than recoup itself over tho period in goods and services.

Blocked by Orthodoxy "I do not think the Budget is planned to create the maximum quantity of goods. It is planned to produce on orthodox lines the maximum .amount of money. The reduction in wages, I believe, 'is not for the war effort. There has been an increase in wages in Britain in the agriculture, cotton and steel industries, in dockyards and in certain candle works. "One* individual is trying to control the destiny of the nation, and that individual *is trying to defeat financial unorthodoxy," Mr. Lee added. "All the time we have been blocked by orthodoxv 1 sav orthodoxy is not going to help us to win the war. It is certainly going to help to defeat the Labour Party." Mr. Lee had not finished his address when the House rose at 10.30 o'clock until to-morrow.