8.—6.

That, Mr. Chairman, reviews the past year and the estimates for the present year. The objectives of the Government at the present time can be summarized under three main headings:— (а) The paramount necessity of meeting war needs in men, materials, and financial resources. (б) The need to keep the everyday economic life of the community functioning to the fullest extent possible. (c) The need after meeting these commitments, to maintain living standards at the highest level possible, after we have contributed supplies and done all that can be done to help win the present conflict. The war effort is not confined to the military section —civilian workers and women in and out of the home are playing their part not only in maintaining the forces overseas to the fullest extent, but also by producing goods for our own use and for the use of the people of Britain, and by rendering the service essential to achieve our maximum effort. Local manufacturers have achieved splendid results in making good the deficiency in imports and in producing increased quantities of materials essential for our war effort. Our primary producers have contributed in record volume the goods necessary to sustain life in the Dominion, and required for the maintenance of our people in the United Kingdom and the forces in the field. We must continue to work and produce. The war must not be used as an excuse to put the clock back. We have great advantages over people in many other countries in that we have already achieved many of the things which other peoples are now beginning to ask lor. We have gone a long way in building up a better world in which there is more equality of opportunity and fewer extremes of wealth and poverty, while we have freed men from economic uncertainty. Having gained much, we have much more to lose unless we win this war. This financial review is placed before honourable members during one of the most devastating conflicts in human history. It appears that the whole world may be drawn into the vortex of war—a war not of the choosing of the democratic peoples but of the cold and calculating will of a small body of persons who have studied the reactions of normal peoples and used the knowledge so gained together with an application of diabolical genius to crush and subjugate the peoples of the world. Czechoslovakia, Austria, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece have all in turn been subjugated and occupied. The force of the Axis Powers has now been turned against Russia, with whom they were in complete agreement, and no one knows how soon the cables may announce an extension of the area of conflict. All that we can do is to resolve that come what may, we will hold on to the freedom which has been built up through the ages, and all that we have shall be used with no thought of surrender. With the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, and the colonies we are one —strong to resist and determined to overcome. Aided by the magnificent material resources of the United States of America, mobilized under the leadership o! its grecit President, Roosevelt, we shall ultimately see the conflict ended in the triumph of the freedom-loving powers. Then we will turn our hearts and minds to building up a State worthy of the sons of freedom who have devoted their lives to its maintenance and expansion.

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