ACTION BY SPEAKER

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21082, 8 April 1940, Page 9

ACTION BY SPEAKER

RESIGNS FROM PARTY NO CONFIDENCE IN LEADER HANDLING OF WAR SITUATION (By Telegraph.—Press Association) HASTINGS, Sunday The Hon. W. E. Barnard, Speaker of the House of Representatives and member for Napier, has resigned from the New Zealand Labour Party. Grounds given by Mr Barnard in a letter to the Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser, are the alleged lack of democratic control in the party, his lack of confidence in Mr Fraser as Leader and in the Hon. W. Nash as Minister of Finance, and his disagreement with Mr Fraser’s handling of the war situation. “At the Easter conference of the Labour Party I urged that what was needed to restore the unity of the party was restoration of democratic control of the Parliamentary caucus,” said Mr Barnard in his letter to the Prime Minister. “I pleaded that the question should be settled then by the conference. Others did the same. It was not allowed. We were told it was a red herring. “At the recent caucus I repeated twice that the immediate adoption of democratic methods was essential to party solidarity and success and supported the conviction by my vote. Others supported this view, but, unhappily, I found myself voting alone. I was in a minority of one. Domination of Industrial Chiefs “Nor did I vote confidence in you as leader, for you do not possess my confidence. I am reluctantly forced to the conclusion that under your leadership the Parliamentary Party will not be able to exercise its democratic rights, just as I feel that there will be no Labour Party taking over of the Bank of New Zealand while Mr Nash is Minister of Finance. “Side by side with this refusal to caucus of its rights I view with alarm the growing political domination of some of the six industrial chiefs, who, I am satisfied, are not representative of the rank and file of the workers. It is a few, very few years ago that all Labour members of Parliament were rallied to check the pretentions of these same gentlemen. Today—witness the recent Easter conference—you and the Cabinet are in close alliance with them. Another nail in the coffin of democracy in the Labour Party. “The confirmation in office of the present Cabinet until the end of the year means that the financial policy of the party (on the basis of which we were all returned to Parliament In 1935 and 1938) will still remain unfulfilled. I am convinced that unless and until that policy is fully implemented this country, already in chains, will pass into deeper bondage. “The orthodox money system cannot sustain the burden of long and costly war except at the price of loading the people of this country with a crushing and intolerable weight of debt. To this course I cannot agree. “The immediate obstacle to taking over the Bank of New Zealand, which has more than once been affirmed by majority of caucus, and to monetary reform is the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, who continues in office. I have no confidence in Mr Nash in that capacity. Handling War Situation “I also find myself at variance with you in your handling of the war situation. When Great Britain is at war we are at war, but we are entitled to fuller assurances from the British Government than the bare statement that Hitler must be defeated. “As I stated publicly on February 7 last ‘Victory is necessary—we won in 1918—but what happens then is at least three or four times as important to us and the next generation or two as the victory itself. Full and explicit reasons should be given in the press and over the air so that the “common people,” upon whom everywhere the major burden falls, may not be fooled a second time.* “You apparently held some such view 20-odd years ago,” Mr Barnard’s letter continued. “Moreover, the Cabinet has no right to commit this country to growing supplies of soldiers for overseas service without consulting Parliament or even the party caucus. “The Defence Council, of which I am a member, was never fully consulted over New Zealand’s commitments. It has not been consulted at ail during the past four months, because it has not met since the first week in December. “The Minister of Defence gave the show completely away when he said the progress of recruiting had been handicapped, because it was not until December that the Government had known that a division was to be sent overseas. “Apparently Mr Chamberlain calls thfi tune and we are to dance to it. As a native-born New Zealander and a representative of New Zealand Labour, I object to this servility. New Zealand is a self-governing Dominion and not a Crown colony. Cunningly Ejected “We have no returned soldier in the Cabinet. I am not satisfied with a Cabinet in which men who fought in the last war have no representation. One man who could have inspired and directed the country in the war effort has just been cunningly ejected from the Labour Party. “This war is a continuation of the war of 1914-18, and men who served then have no penance to do in the present crisis. ' The returned soldiers in the ParliamenU»r,y Labour Party have been ignored during recent months. “There is much more I might say and will say at a later stage. I deeply regret the necessity for taking up this uncompromising stand, but I feel conscientiously compelled to do it. I can no longer remain dumb or curbed when I see the principles and policy of the party which I have

served for 17 years being either thrown on one side or whittled away. There is a price to be paid for freedom, and I have counted the cost. “In doing so I have been encouraged by a statement of a distinguished fellow-countryman —of yours—a man whose life has been an inspiration to the Labour movement throughout the world, although he has been dead 25 years. "I refer to Keir Hardie, who, on his 50th birthday, declared: ‘Looking back over the way I have come. I can honestly say J have never had reason to regret following the steep, straight path of duty, and I may add I have never yielded to temptation to try the apparently easier way without having cause to rue it.’ Will Work For Labour “I shall continue to work for the Labour movement—to realise its ideals and aims—but I decline to do so any longer as a cog in a machine which is rapidly destroying the soul of the movement,” said Mr Barnard in conclusion. “I am bound to prefer principles to persons. To act otherwise is to follow the Nazi method, which seems to be creeping into New Zealand political life. You will correctly understand this letter to mean that I hereby voluntarily resign for the present from the official New Zealand Labour Party. “In view of the importance of this statement to my constituents and its interest to the public generally, I am handing a copy of it to the press.”