POLITICAL NOTES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18566, 23 August 1922, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

CONFISCATION.

LABOUR PARTY’S POLICY

(By Telegraph)

[From. Our Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, Aug. 22.

Party politics may now be expected to be heard of on the floor of the House of Representatives. To-day there was an instalment, when Mr Holland (Buller) referred to the Dominion report of the Prime Minister’s speech at Foxton. He said he was not suggesting that the Prime Minister was responsible for the Dominion’s report, or that he would be so dishonourable as to state such a foolish lie as the paper published, but the report credited the Prime Minister with saying that the policy of the Labour Party was simply one of confiscation. Mr Lysnar: That is correct. Mr Holland said the report said further that the Labour Party admitted it, whereas the Prime Minister knew well that had been denied on the floor of the House. The Prime Minister objected' to the use of the word “Lie.” He was not going to allow Mr Holland or anyone else to suggest that he had told a foolish lie.

Mr Holland said he was not suggesting for one minute that the Prime Minister was dishonourable enough to tell such a. foolish lie. He realised the responsibility was that of the newspaper, but the report would be published throughout New Zealand, and he wished to give the Prime Minister an opportunity of putting himself right. The Prime Minister said his recollection of what he said was that the Labour Party policy was nationalisation by the means of production; disSribution and exchange, and if that was not confiscation he did not know what was. Labour members: “Oh.” The Prime Minister: The honourable member and his friends may say “Oh,” but can they deny their policy is nationalisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange? Mr Holland: That is correct, but that is not the point. This report says the policy is one of confiscation, and that the Labour Party admitted it. The Prime Minister repeated that the Labour Party would nationalise the whole country if it had the opportunity.