ELECTIONEERING BROADCASTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23354, 20 November 1937, Page 8

ELECTIONEERING BROADCASTS

COMPLAINT BY OPPOSITION SOME RESTRICTION SUGGESTED REFUSAL BY PRIME MINISTER (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.' WELLINGTON, Nov. 19. An Opposition suggestion that some restriction should be placed on the use of the radio for electioneering purposes about polling day was made during the discussion on the Estimates in the House of Representatives to-day. The Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) expressed the very definite view that broadcasting should be allowed for all parties right up to midnight OVI the day before polling day. The suggestion that some prohibition should be enforced was made by Mr S. G. Smith (Opposition, New Plymouth). He asked the Prime Minister whether he would consider preventing the use of the radio for electioneering in the same way that the newspapers were prevented from commenting within a definite period and candidates were prevented from distributing pamphlets. Mr Smith claimed that the restrictions ought to extend to the use of microphones and loud speakers. It would be quite possible for some person to give a misleading broadcast which could not be corrected before it was too late, he said. Some restriction on the use of radio at election time was also advocated by Mr G. W. Forbes (Opposition, Hurunui). He said that everything should be done to prevent anything in the way of unfairness at such a time.

“Would it be applied to newspaper editorials and advertisements,” asked the Under-secretary for Housing (Mr J. A. Lee). “If we stop people from broadcasting, then we would have to stop the newspapers from talking, too, and I don’t think that would be right,” said the Prime Minister, “ and my colleagues do not care what the newspapers say about us so long as we know who is saying it and who is writing it. I believe that we should use broadcasting right up to, say, midnight on the night before the poll. Arrangements can be made for both parties to have their say. I think that the Government, in fact, would have everything to gain from such an arrangement. The public should hear both sides.” Mr Smith; There is only one news bulletin though. “That has nothing to do with this,” retorted the Prime Minister. “ That is an official bulletin compiled from the official Government records. The Opposition can say anything it wants at stated periods. The member for Hurunui has said that the broadcasts are all on one side, but I have twice offered the Leader of the Opposition the opportunity to make a weekly broadcast so long as a member of the Government can have a go too.” Mr Forbes protested that he did not like the Prime Minister’s suggestion that broadcasts should be allowed up to midnight before polling day. There might be a slanderous statement made and the person slandered would have no opportunity of replying. How could provision be made for such cases? Mr J. A. Lee: How are we going to prevent the late issue of a newspaper carrying- a lying advertisement showing the Post Office Savings Bank with closed doors because the Labour Government had been elected.

Opposition members: It was not a lying advertisement. They were closed in New South Wales. “ No one would be more delighted at being able to help to curtail that sort of advertising than this Govment,” Mr Lee said.