TAX BURDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24336, 28 June 1940, Page 6

TAX BURDEN

UNPRECEDENTED MEASURES RECEPTION OF BUDGET CALM AIR IN HOUSE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 27. New Zealand’s most drastic Budget was received cdmly, if without marked enthusiasm, when it was presented in the House of Representatives to-night by the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash). There appeared to be a general realisation that the people must be prepared to accept unprecedented taxation burdens to help to P-y for their share of the war effort, and, with the exception of a slight flutter in the galleries on one or two occasions while Mr Nash was reading his Budget, there was little in the demeanour of those present in the Chamber to indicate the gravity of the occasion. The introduction of parliamentary broadcasting has robbed Budget night of some of the atmosphere with which it was formerly invested. . For once, the customary packed galleries were absent to-night, and there was hardly a larger attendance of members of the public than on an ordinary sitting night. There was, however, a certain tenseness as the result of the circumstances in which the Budget was being presented, for, although no one expected that the new taxes would.be anything but severe, there was no little curiosity as to their exact nature. To-night’s was one of the shortest Budgets for many years. Mr Nash began reading at 7-38, and finished on the tick of 8.30. less than an hour later. Opposition members, while they did not go to the length of crying, “Not enough! ” as did members of the House of Commons some time ago, maintained a cheerful attitude throughout, and an atmosphere almost of jocularity pre vailed later when a resolution effecting the 100 per cent, increase in sales tax was being discussed. The only member who appeared to entertain serious doubts as to the wisdom of this course was Mr J. A Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn), who did, however, seem to gain some comfort from the fact that he was now excluded from the Labour caucus, which he described in reply to an interjection, as “the unholy of unholies.” When the House rose just before 9 o’clock the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) announced that the debate on the Budget would be opened when Parliament resumed next Tuesday evening.