QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22326, 28 July 1934, Page 14

QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GOVERNMENT “ GRAFT AND CORRUPTION ” (Peb United Press association.) WELLINGTON, July 27. When the. House of Representatives met for the afternoon session to-day a question of privilege was raised by Mr A. J, Murdoch (Marsden), at whose instance the Clerk of the House read the following extract from the Hawke’s Bay Herald of July 25: — “Politics was approaching the stage where scientific control was needed to replace control by the people who were characterised by administrative ignorance. The Goverininent’s history was a history of incompetence, of graft and corruption, and of commissions appointed to do the work which Parliament had not the brains to do. Honour was sacrificed tor political advantage. The country was bankrupt financially and pretty well bankrupt morally.” The Speaker said it was his duty to say whether a prima facie case had been made out. He bad no hesitation in saying that such a case had been made out. It was the duty of the House to protect members, whether they belonged to the Government or were private members, from charges of that kind. He suggested that the matter should be referred to a committee of privileges. The Prime Minister (Mr G. W. I'orbes) moved in this direction, and the motion was carried.

A Press Association telegram from Hastings states that the question of privilege raised in the House this afternoon by Mr Murdoch related to the report of a meeting addressed by Miss G. Hamilton Fraser, who has been associated with a petition being circulated here for the dissolution of Parliament.