CANADIAN POLITICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21773, 12 October 1932, Page 7

CANADIAN POLITICS

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE A ' LIBERAL AMENDMENT ITITACK ON THE GOVERNMENT (United Pres* Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) OTTAWA, October 10. (Received October 11, at 9 p.m.) • The Liberal Leader (Mr Mackenzie King) brought the attack on the Governmtht to A climax in the House of Commons on I 'Monday by moving an amendment to the Address-in-Reply to the Speech from the Throne. It reads: “Whilst reserving any expression of view upon the merits of the agreements concluded at • the recent Imperial Economic Conference, the House is of the opinion' that the tariff policies of the present* 1 Administration have «efiously injured the trade of Canada and have intensified the economic depression, and that 'the Government has wholly failed, to afford a remedy for unemployment and agricultural distress, as pledged by the Prime Minister. The House regrets that, apart the dole, the Government' has no policy in respect to the belief of unemployment, and it also deplores the Government’s obvious endeavour, by postponing the revising of the Bank Act, to avoid the immediate Consideration by Parliament of the allimportant* subjects of banking, credit, and currency.” \ Referring to tha Imperial Economic Conference the Liberal Leader said that the method of negotiation was unfortunate. “It w&srone of bargaining, and I believe that, the bargaining business as a matter of Imperial policy is all wrong. The nations of the Empire are one in kinship, : race, sentiment, tradition, and allegiance to a common Crown, and a method. other than that of ■ bargaining should be adopted, one ■where representatives of the Empire nations could meet to discuss common problems. Conservative;members claim that Mr Bennett’s position forced Great Britain to change her fiscal policy. If that is so, then the Empire is threatened with disruption. This means that one part of the Empire could dictate a fiscal policy to any other part, fpr if Canada -took that position towards others, other Empire nations must be conceded the Tight to take the same stand towards Canada.” Replying .to the. Liberal Leader, the Prime Minister (Mr R. Bennett) criticised Mr King for attempting to “ depreciate the effects of the Government’s action at the Imperial Economic Conference,” and he said that the Liberal Leader could hot disguise his spleen that a successful conference had been held in ,the country. The discussions on the trade pacts negotiated at the conference would be comprehensive. Mr Bennett promised to table them on Wednesday, And, if the Opposition desired it, the discussion would be delayed for a day or two to provide time for study and meditation. Nothing that Mr King had said showed that the Government was impotent to deal with unemployment and falling trade. Mr Bennett declared that it was sheer partisanship to say that Canada alone was affected.” “ Psychological influences must be set to work if the depression is to, lift,” be said, .and he, declared that the Government, in season and out of season, had done everything to restore confidence, and he would tell the people of the country that'- the lot of the Canadians wis better than that of any other people in the world. ,