NATIVE AFFAIRS

Southland Times, Issue 22473, 8 November 1934, Page 8

NATIVE AFFAIRS

COMMISSION’S REPORT MR COATES DEFENDS GOVERNMENT REMEDIAL MEASURES TAKEN (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, November 7. “I am not one of those who to-night, or at any other time, will question the commission’s report,” asserted the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates in the House to-night when speaking on the report of the Native Affairs Commission. He went on to give the history of the action taken by the Government from 1932 onwards in the direction of rectifying the position by changing the method of providing funds and vesting the powers formerly contained in the Native Minister in a board. “Mr Savage has made the charge that each member of the Government is equally responsible. I admit that, but I do say there is a case to be made out for the Government” he added. Mr Coates said he took no exception to the tone of Mr Savage’s amendment in which the Leader of the Opposition placed the responsibility on the Government for the administration of the Native Department, but it was necessary to examine the position to ascertain what steps had been taken by the Government when the complaints were received to investigate and rectify the position. Action had been taken by the Government on each occasion a report had been received from the AuditorGeneral or the Treasury indicating where there was a weakness. It was on his own motion that the Public Accounts Committee passed a motion recommending the setting up of a Royal Commission, for the committee was not even satisfied with the report of the Auditor-General.

“Apart from any other consideration, apart from the feeling one has for. the Maori race, for the ex-Native Minister or for anyone else, I am not going to try and find excuses,” added Mr Coates. “I am prepared to say this Government can only be accused of the charge of neglect of duty when it can be proved that action was not taken immediately the reports were received. The AuditorGeneral had already cleared the Government of any implications of any strictures contained in the commission’s report.” Mr Coates recalled that the National Expenditure Commission had gone fully into affairs of the Native Department when it had overhauled this and all other departments. He doubted whether any Government had ever taken any more concise and expeditious action than had been taken by the Coalition at that time. The National Expenditure Commission had sat in 1932 and in the same year a large number of Native Department appropriations were taken from the legislation and put on the Estimates so that they . come under annual review. Appropriations under Native Land Settlement Acts were dealt with in the same way. Steps were then taken by the Treasury and Auditor-General for better control of the money, and legislation, was passed the following year. The Native Purposes Act was amended and the same year the Native Land Settlement Board was set up. There was a chronological sequence of action. _ Mr Coates referred to the historical summary covering the Government s actions through these years. Mr R. McKeen interjected the remark that he was not dealing with the commission’s report. “That is not the point,” replied Mr Coates. “The point is what action did the Government take on each report received by it. If it can be shown the Government has been neglectful in any matter at all after the information was received by it, then the matter would be very serious. Does the commission s report place any strictures at all on' the Government?” Mr R. Semple: It does on you Mr Coates: Yes, I will take all that when I come to it, and you may come into my electorate and take a shot at putting me out. EX-MINISTER APPLAUDED AN OUTSTANDING SPEECH. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, November 7. The outstanding feature of the debate on the report of the Native Affairs Commission and the no-confidence motion of the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives today, was the speech of the ex-Min-ister of Native Affairs. Early in the afternoon Sir Apirana Ngata entered the lists to reply to the criticism of a section of the House that had shown open or veiled hostility to him and to his colleagues in the Government. His remarks were received with marked attention, and when he resumed his seat an hour and a-half later, his gift for oratory had so swayed his hearers that he received the applause and commendation of all who had heard him.

Throughout the sitting Government members continued to defend Sir Apirana Ngata and Labour members criticised other Ministers for not taking their share of the blame. The first speaker, Mr A. E. Jull, said that similar diliquencies in other departments were disregarded because they were validated in an orthodox manner. He advised the Maoris to join with the general body of electors so that their representation in the House would be more widely spread.

Mr S. G. Smith appealed to the House to judge Sir Apirana Ngata not on the mistakes of his officers, but on ■his whole work, and said that in later years the name of Ngata would standout in history because of the excellent work he had done! The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates dealt in detail with the action the Government had taken after complaints of irregularities had been received, and Mr W. A. Bodkin said advantage had been taken of the position for party purposes. Messrs W. E. Barnard, H. T. Armstrong and J. A. Lee all criticised the Government for placing all the blame on Sir Apirana Ngata, but advocated equality for the Maori and pakeha. The debate was adjourned at 11.50,