EQUALITY WITH PAKEHA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 1, 19 July 1946, Page 5

EQUALITY WITH PAKEHA

MAORIS AND SOCIAL, SECURITY

MR W. SULLIVAN’S OPINION

“So far as the National Party is concerned, we will see that social security is available for the Maoris equally with the pakehas, or vice versa,” declared Mr W. Sullivan (National, Bay of Plenty), speaking in the House of Representatives in the Address-in-Reply debate. “It is an accepted policy, and there is no intention whatsoever of interfering with social security as it affects the Maori,” he said. “The National Party accepts the social security legislation as it is today, and it has been repeatedly stated by the Leader of the Opposition and by all the speakers on this side of the House that there is no intention whatsoever of interfering with the conditions under social security.” Mr Sullivan said that a Labour member had gone round the Maori pahs and stated that if the National Party member were elected the people would lose their social security benefits. “That is the doctrine that is being preached, that is the same philosophy—the same statements are being made by Maori speakers and Maori organisers throughout the Eastern Maori electorate at the present time. What are they doing it for? To keep Sir Apirana Ngata out of this House. Where are the leaders of the Maori face inside Parliament today? Where are the Sir James Carrolls, the Sir Peter Bucks, the Sir Apirana Ngata’s and the Sir Maui Pomares? We have not got them.”