FORTHRIGHT ANSWER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 53, 22 November 1946, Page 5

FORTHRIGHT ANSWER

‘LUXURY’ MOUSE QUESTION

UNDERHAND TACTICS CONDEMNED

“This is an election campaign, when one has to be prepared to answer ail kinds of questions,” said Mr W. Sulliivan at Edgecumbe last Wednesday evening, when he was asked if he could throw any light upon the construction of a luxury building built by his firm., “In the ordinary course of events, in Parliament and elsewhere, questioners avoid ones personal business, but I feel that the question is asked in good faith and I will answer it.” Mr Sullivan said that the house belonged to his son-in-law it had been applied for some 18 months ago, and had finally been granted by the Building Controller in Hamilton, subject to all the regulations now in force. His firm had built the house as it would have done for any other. Those were the simple facts.

When an interjector in the body of the hall mentioned something of the rights of returned soldiers, Mr Sullivan with some heat, said he detested any insinuation of that sort. He could say without boasting that no one had done more for the returned men in this district than he. Thirty-five men of his firm’s employ had‘returned and "had been all rehabilitated. Thirty-two houses had been erected for returned men and there was not one who had not been fully served either by having his home built now or under way. When such snake-in-the-grass rumours were spread abroad he did not think he should be bothered with them. Unfortunately there were some supporters in all political parties who simply could not play a clean game. He believed his opponent had played a clean one (applause) but apparently some of his supporters could not. It had been alleged that he was Building Controller for the Bay of Plenty. He could tell the meeting that his timber stocks were seriously depleted and that his company was just as anxious about the position as anyone else.

Mr Sullivan thanked his questioner as he had given him, as he said an opportunity of answering a false rumour and of saying things which he would have been reluctant to say in the ordinary course of events.