National Platform Expounded
CANDIDATE’S VIGOROUS ADDRESS
MR W. SULLIVAN’S FINAL • MEETING
LARGE ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE
To an enthusiastic audience varying estimated at from 450 to 500, Mr W. Sullivan, National candidate for the Bay of Plenty gave his final electioneering address in Whakatane in the Regent Theatre last Monday evening. The meeting was a representative one and contained a small Labour element, which was responsible for occasional interjections throughout the major part of the proceedings. The candidate however .handled the situation soundly and turned the tables on those responsible in no uncertain manner.
Introducing Mr Sulliyan, the Mayror, Mr B. S. Barry, said that the • candidate had represented the Bay for the past five years. He had an -excellent local ■ body record in the town of Whakatane. He was Mayor from 1925 to 1938 and was still' a • sitting member of the Borough Council. He had also served on numerous local bodies and had played a prominent part in the progress of the social and community life of the town. * Labour had nothing whatever for the people of this country other than the taking over of industry and the running of the whole country by the State, said Mr Sullivan. This was the one objective of the Labour Government. On the other hand National held out a policy of individual ownership in all its forms and headings. Labour, had set out to run industry and the Prime Minister who had nailed the flag of ultimate socialism to his mast, had within his fold a number of innocent young cubs who were oblivious to this objective and who were roaming round the countryside denying it.
He’quoted a number of extracts from. Labour speakers who made it very plain just what the Government was driving at—Socialisation / pure and simple. ? Forty-hour Week on Farms Dealing with the position' of the farmer, Mr Sullivan asked why shouldn’t the man on the land have a 40-hour week?,Why shouldn’t his assistants have a 40-hour week along with the other workers of the Dominion?. There was only one way to do that and that was by levying a tax upon, the community in order to subsidise the things the farmer produced. The Labour Government knew that and was not prepared to do it.
Mr Sullivan traversed the figures given previously showing how the worker was compelled to work so much more and longer hours in order tot purchase the necessities of life and of" home furnishing. What was needed was a long-term money system which .would safeguard the economy of the country and preserve it from the spendthrift Government which had been imposed by Labour. National would set up a credit and currency commission in order to equate the note issue with the value of the primary and industrial wealth of the Dominion.
King of New Zealand He quoted an .advertisement in the Te Puke Times which openly boasted of Mr Jim Roberts as the man who dictated Labour policy and as the uncrowned King of N.Z. Compulsory Trades Unionism was / contrary to the democratic ' principles of the people of this Dominion. It was time the people realised that from every member who was compelled to join a union, a certain commission or percentage was diverted to Party funds which were used to fight Labour’s propaganda campaign. Shadow of Communism In answer to an interjector, Mr Sullivan said that on the outbreak of war not one Communist came forward to fight in the defence of the Empire, but upon Russia coming into the conflict, they said ‘this war is our war.’ Their whole aim was to Sovietise New Zealand. To further illustrate his point he added that when the Labour Government succeeded in putting through the new electoral boundary legislation, its members were so jubilant that they actually struck up ‘the Red Flag.” / Cn the Opposition benches, mem- * k ers w eve Sc disgusted that they struck up the National Anthem: So that at 2.30 a.m. in the snorning, both sides <of the New Zealand Parliament showed their true leaning.
Candidate and Maoris
Dealing with the pamphlet issued by the Prime Minister to the people of the Maori race, in which he (Mr Sullivan) was described as ‘a slanderer of the Maori people’ Mr Sullivan read the exact quotation from Hansard in which he had said in supporting Mr Goosman’s persistent plea for a return of the Social Security payments to the Maori, that unless investigation were made, the,, Maoris would be ruined and he was averse to That. The pamphlet had taken only a section of the statement and had visciously endeavoured to show that he was only interested in doing the Maori an injury. National desired nothing more than to see the Maori progress side by side with the Pakeha and he could honestly say that no other man had done more for the Maoris of the Bay of Plenty than he had. Sir Apirana Ngata referred to him as Maori Member No. 11.
Land Settlement Turning to land settlement, he said that National would introduce a system of share farming which would enable a man of little or no capital' to have the opportunity of going on to Crowm or other acquired land where he eould be trained under expert supervision and then within a period of time, could be established on the place by means of a long term purchase clause. He was ’ certain that there were large tracts of Crown land which could be developed and made over in the manner described. “My chief object in life,” said Mr Sullivan with, some vehemance, “is to fight this developing bug of Socialism and Communism which has been growing in New Zealand. That’s whaf all our fellows are doing and if the people of this country are going to go on returning the social-minded Labour Govi. ernment, they deserve all that’s coming to them.” Abolition of Controls A National Government would abolish the controls which were cramping industry, so much today. Import and other material controls were quite unnecessary • and were just another indication of- the Socialistic trend which sought to tighten the State grip upon every section of industrial activity. Primary industry and justified secondary industries would be steadily fostered in the interests of employment and of progressive development. Referring to the statement that Labour had assisted with the establishment of the Paper Mills, Mr Sullivan said once again that Labour had placed every possible obstacle in the -way of the company’s development. It was only the initiative of the late Mr H. A. Horrocks which made the mill possible. The Government had hindered him at every turn.
Policy of Disinheritance Disinheritance was one of the major objectives of the Labour Party. It was definitely out to deprive the people of this country of the right to own things. Every person who desired to retain the right to- leave his possessions to his own children should get behind the National Party in its endeavours, to restore individual ownership. Disinheritance had already been put into practice. Had the Government not already disinherited the private shareholders of the Bank of New Zealand, the shareholders of Union Airways and threatened also to take over the brick and tile companies. Last election the Government, as far as this country was concerned, was voted out of office at midnight—outvoted by some 80,000 votes. There were ten seats in doubt and the Middle East, votes had yet to come to hand. The strange sequel was that when they were returned .8 out of 10 seats went to Labour. A Truly Liberal Party
The National Party came before the electors as a truly Liberal Party which if they were elected were prepared to accept the responsibility of governing the country, making it brighter and better to live in and eliminating class ■ hatred and suppression. Whatever the decision on Wednesday next he would accept it in good part. He had nothing to lose either way but he was deeply concerned .over the prospect of the Dominion and . the serious drift to Socialismywhich had set in during the years of Labour’s regime. (Applause). Mr Sullivan concluded by reading the following ten points, which he said he had.quoted during the last election.:— (1) You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. (2) You cannot ‘ strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. (3) Yoi/ cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
(4) You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. (5) You cannot lift the wageearner by pulling down the wagepayer. (6) You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. (7) You cannot strengthen the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. (8) You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money. (9) You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence. (10) You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. In answer to a query as to whether he favoured the ratification of the Bretton Woods agreement, Mr Sullivan said that until he knew more about it he would record his vote against it. At the conclusion of his question ■time Mr Sullivan was again accorded loud applause. A hearty vote of thanks and confidence in the National Party was moved by Mr H. G. Warren seconded by Mr Roy Butler and carried unanimously.
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Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 55, 27 November 1946, Page 5
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1,560National Platform Expounded Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 55, 27 November 1946, Page 5
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