MR. FRASER OPENS CAMPAIGN IN OWN ELECTORATE

Wanganui Chronicle, 31 October 1946, Page 5

MR. FRASER OPENS CAMPAIGN IN OWN ELECTORATE

GREAT ENTHUSIASM (P.A.) Wellington, Oct. 30. Going to open his campaign for the Brooklyn seat to-night, the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, was met at the crest of the hill by a body of supporters, who, headed by two junior Waterside bands, marched ahead of his car to the Vogue Theatre. Outside a crowd wailed to cheer him and sing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” Mr. Fi aser was piped into the hall amid applause. When he rose there was renewed cheering. He spoke for over two and a-quarter hours amj an audience estimated at more than 500 gave him an enthusiastic hearing. There were a few interjections, practically none hostile. A motion of confidence in the Labour Government and in Mr. Flaser as Prime Minister and as member for Brooklyn, was declared carried unanimously. Mr. Fraser said that though the National Party had opposed the abolition of the country quota and said it was wrong, they did not now propose to altpr what had been done. That was characteristic of the National Party. They had opposed almost every advance that had been made in the last 11 years. Yet, according to their professions, there was hardly anything that had been done that they would undo. H e felt, however, there was some difference between their professions and their probable actions. He went on to deal with certain statements which he said had been made by National Party candidates. Mr. W. Sullivan, M.P. for Bay of Plenty, had stated that it Labour were returned to power it was predicted it would extend the life of Parliament to enable it to put Into effect its plan of ultimate and complete Socialism. Who had predicted that? asked Mr. Fraser. It was in fact a figment of Mr. Sullivan's own imagination, an effort to publish something that was not true under the guise of a prediction. In peacetime the only Government that ever extended its own term of office was a National Government. During the war the life of Parliament had been extended because it was considered an election could not be held then. That, however, was done with the unanimous consent, of the whole country. There was not qne word of truth in the clumsy invention of Mr. Sullivan.

The Labour Party stood for Government of the people, by the people, for the people. It would never extend the life of Parliament in peacetime without consulting and getting the opinion of the people.

“The disinheritance falsehood” has been repudiated time after time, Mr. Fraser continued. The Labour Government’s policy had, in fact, given the people something to inherit, whereas the National Party’s policy previously had disinherited them. Mr. Holland had a purely imaginary grievance when he complained that Labour members accused him of calling .social security applied lunacy, said Mr. Fraser. He had applied that term, not to social security in general as a principle, but to the Government's scheme of social security. He hail not only said the Government’s scheme, which had proved so successful, was applied lunacy, but also that he would not operate it. “He can duck and dive as much as lie likes, but he can’t get away from that" said Mr. Fraser.

When the National Party, said they would not interfere with Labour legislation their expressions came from their lips only, and not from their heart. They had never felt that what Labour was doing was right