WHAKATANE M.P. HITS OUT HARD AT COMMUNISTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 80, 29 April 1949, Page 5

WHAKATANE M.P. HITS OUT HARD AT COMMUNISTS

“Communist wreckers should be packed off to Russia. One taste of their own doctrine in practice and they would be sorry but richer for the experience.” This statement, and others attacking Communists in general and the Soviet system, made by Mr W. Sullivan, Whakatane, M.P. for Bay of Plenty, at a public meeting at the P.W.D. camp at Mangakino last week surprisingly caused few interjections, particularly as the president, secretary and some members of the executive of the local branch of the Communist party were known to be among the 80 present. Mr Sullivan was given a unanimous vote of thanks at the end of his address. His reception was all the more surprising, as on entering the hall, people were handed a cyclostyled programme headed “The Great Illusion, Featuring Sullivan,” attacking the National party and setting out the aims of the Communist party. “Communism has nothing to offer New Zealand. The whole purpose of Communism is to paralyse industry, create chaos, and to destroy our freedom” said Mr Sullivan. “Communists in our country and elsewhere foment strikes, scatter biased propaganda, and teach the people to clamour for something for nothing in order to break the country’s financial structure. They seek to control the domestic policy and attempt to distate a foreign policy. “Whilst sheltering unded the Union Jack they have the impudence to say that, in the event of , war, they will be on Russia’s side. These agitators seek to improve their own power and control, rather than the lot of the worker.”