USE OF THE AIR.

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18795, 17 November 1932, Page 7

USE OF THE AIR.

COMPLAINT IN HOUSE. BROADCASTING OF SPEECHES. LABOUR LEADER’S CRITICISM. (Times Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Complaint that the right to broadcast had been extended to members of the Government but refused to the Opposition was made by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr If. E. Holland, when the Estimates of the Post and Telegraph Department were under discussion in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr Holland said that if the air were to be used, and he thought it should be, thenyit should be available to both sides of' the House. Prior to his departure for the Ottawa Conference the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates had broadcast a policy speech on the conference. As Leader of the Opposition he had asked for the same right In connection with an address he proposed to deliver at Christchurch. He did not receive a reply until he was about to enter his meeting, and it amounted practically to a refusal. Policy Announcements. He had got into touch with the Postmaster-General, the Hon. A. Hamilton, and his attitude was that the Government must have the right to use the air for policy announcements and that Ministers could be'relied upon to keep clear of political Issues. Since Mr Coates had returned from Ottawa he had delivered another speech over the air. Items were also broadcast from the press and listeners frequently heard extracts from Government speeches but nothing was heard of statements from the Opposition side. Mr Holland then moved that the vote be reduced by £1 as an indication that the right to broadcast should be conoeded to both sides of the House and not confined to the Government party alone. A division was called for, but the amendment was lost by 40 votes to 24. Mr Hamilton said the item in the Estimates related to the Post and Telegraph Department’s own wireless service, and had nothing to do with the broadcast service. His understanding of the position was that Mr Holland" had wanted to broadcast a public speech, which was quite different from the broadcasting of a pre-' pared statement from a studio. If a statement were submitted to the Broadcasting Board the right to broadcast it would probably be considered. Submission to Board. Mr Holland: Was the statement made by Mr Coates submitted to the hoard before he delivered it. Mr Hamilton said the operator In the studio could have switched off if Mr Coates had said anything that was not in good taste. Mr R. Semple (Labour —'Wellington East) : He would have soon got the sack if he did. Mr Hamilton said he could not say whether Mr Coates had been requested to band in his statement for submission lo the board. It was a public statement. Mr Semple: A party statement. Mr Hamilton: Mr Coates made his statement from the studio. Mr Holland: Will you allow mo to do that? Position of Listeners. Mr Hamilton said that if Mr Holland made such a request no doubt it would bo considered. There was no desire lo shut out any public man. It was a very different thing to broadcast from a public meeting in a 'public hall. If Mr Holland desired to make a statement and submitted it no doubt his request would be consid- : ered. There was no desire to curtail the public from obtaining the information I they might desire. Ministers might I have a 1 iLI 1 c more right than members, j but the Leader of the Opposition | might he given similar rights as Minl isters. Tlis matter was one for the I Broadcasting Board. in any case ] listeners might not want to listen to broadcasts of public meetings.