LABOUR’S POLICY HAS CHANGED’’

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 169, 19 July 1945, Page 5

LABOUR’S POLICY HAS CHANGED’’

MR. POLSON’S ASSERTION

BANKING DISCUSSED IN THE DEBATE IN THE HOUSE.

'I (P.A.) Parliament Bldgs., July 18. i Speaking in the Address-in-Repiy de- ; | bate in the House of Representatives 1 to-night, the deputy-Leader of the Op1 .position (Mr. W. J. Polson, Stratford) 1 I quoted the Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash) as having said that the policy ‘lof the Labour Party was put to the ’ electors and was not altered until the ’ i next general election. The Governor- ’ i General's speech had stated the Gov)Crnment would take over the Bank ot ? New Zealand, but that had not been t |in the Labour Party’s election policy. On the contrary, they had gone to the country with a policy of not nationalising the trading banks. • I Inconsistency was not a crime, but • when the Government wag elected on i a pledge and then went back on that 'pledge, the people should have something to say about it. Taking over the | bank was a breach of faith, not only [with New Zealand, but also with the (Mother Country, because Mr. Nash j had stated in London that the GovernJ 'ment had no intention of taking over L jth? trading banks, and as that state** , jment had a bearing on the treatment . 'New Zealand had received, th rt Minisj It- r’s changed attitude was likely to have a greater bearing on the future. The Minister of Marine (Mr. . O'Brien) said that before the Governor ment made a change it wont to a con- . Iferonoe and discussed th? whole matt |ter. There was a time when Mr. Pol- . son wanted an Agricultural Bank, and . thought that the Bank of New Z a- ! land would be useful to the farmers if 5 they owned it. 5 Referring to coal shortages, Mr. . O’Brien so id there was a talk about . the miners’ earnings, but it should be . remembered the miners’ average nay t was four shillings per ton for hewing > and loading. It should also be realis- [ ed that 4h? percentage of injuries j among miners was higher than among soldiers overseas. Thn Government . was blamed for thn cnn i shortage, as if . it could prevent ii. The shortage was I jdu.n io tiie ftnpnag? of imports in con- | junction with n inerm® I ** in d?- . Imand f r nm industry including ga*’** I I works, throughout the country. At ; nresent supplies were be?nr increased slowly but we would have to nrodnee I mor? coni or cat it from Australia befc.r* the position would really be , ear d. Air Force machines were again g 'ounderi and commercial aircraft which were scheduled to land at. Wigran where there was less snow than at Harewood, were signalled not to come down because the aerodrome , had not cleared as expected.