RECALLS HIS SHUDDERS

Chronicle (Levin), 2 July 1947, Page 2

RECALLS HIS SHUDDERS

-Press Assocdation

Mr, Baxter On Election Campaign

By Telegravh

WELLINGTON, July 1. Loyalty was tJie tie wliicli bound tlie British Commonweaitli of Nations aml : iasting peace could be acbievecl if the same spirit prevailed among the other nations of the world, said Mr. Mathison ( Avon ) who was niaking his maiden speeeh in the JELouse of Kepresentatives tonight. He moved the Address-in-Reply to the Governor-General 's Speech from the Throne. Mr. Mathison acclaimed Labour's achievements and said more should be done to raise the standard of living to a higher level than was enjoyed at present. He said the Government would seek fcr a greater degree of harniony in industry. The country had been relatively free from major disturbanees in industry but if there was to be complete harmony in industry, employers must be prepar.ed to aecept a voiee in the management and control, and in a share of the profits by the workers. If that were accepted there would be greater production of the goods and serviees that went to make a full and free iife. The.La'oour Government had piedged to work for the equitable distribution of the good things of life and would pursue that policy. Mr. Mathison, when he coneluded his speech, was roundly applauded by botli sides of the House. Stocktaking Needed. Mr. Baxter (Raglan) who seconded the Address-in-Rei>ly and who also made his maiden speech said he considered this sessic.n should be a stocktakiug session of the new Parliament. The staudard of debate in the house was important and Members should shuu mudslingihg methods and aspire tu greater heights. . Mr. Baxter, ref erring to the Raglan election campaign, said he was shocked to have experienced the siibtle psychology of war time adopted in the peace time battle for the power of government. He made specific reference to hfth column activities, whispering campaigns, industrial sabotage and debasing insinuations. Any candidate 01* organisation which lowered itself to use those methods was unworthy of the country to which he belonged. Mr. Baxter said the general spirit of both political parties in tlie Raglan electorate was good. The linal analysis of the pctition jgave liim the priviiege of representing, ,the electorate by a slender majorit/' but be wdnderecV" if there should not be sorne ameudment t the clectoral laws in view of some of the cases which eame before the Court. Ele thought there should be some elearer rle/inition of an elector's eligibilitv to be placed on a certain roll and said it would be an advantage to have a Maori roll. There was a great responsibility toward posterity in regard to the democratie francise. He shuddered to think what his chances would have been If he was an indepenaent candidate or if he had not had the weight of party funds behind him. The costs of the petition hearing would run well into a f our-figure sum for both parties and although the ques- ! tion of costs had not yet been discuss- 1 ed, he doubted if the costs which the Court would eventually award, would ! cover more than one-tenth of the costs incurred by either party. What independent candidate would have faced such costs unsupported? For this reason he suggested that a committee of the House should be appointed to eonsider a revision of thl electoral law. Mr. Baxter said the Opposition 's function in the House was not to ob struct or stalemate the legialative programme of the Government which had been elected with a clear mandate, al- ' tliough the Opposition did have a Tegitimate task to see that no Government exc-eeded the programme which it had

'expounded from publie platforms and to which tne country hau accorded its support. Appeal to Opposition. Mr. Baxter, like Mr. Mathison, urged that the Government should take its fuli part in international conferences. He believed the people of the. Dominion wished that. The Opposition had a duty not to jeopardise the life of a Government when, in the opinion of that Government, one person should be sent to express New Zealand's — and especially the Government 's — view at an important international eonference. "I s'incerely reqm-st the Leader of :itheiiOppositi0U^4io^gi\'e ■ -an -aasurftn'ee that no obstructive tactics will be used j if the occasiou demands that a Minister of the Crown be sent overseas/M said Mr. Baxter.. , Opposition voice: A blank eheque j for a holiday. Mr. Baxter retorted that if the report -which Mr. Nash had recentlv brought baclc from Geneva and elsewhere, failed to arouse the iniagination of the interjector. there was no hope 1 of the latter ever exereising an intelligent interest in international affairs. Mr. Baxter repeated his appeal to the Leader of the Opposition to give what had been termed a blank cheque t — an assurance witbout ties or tags — j that in the event of a Minister under- i taking a mission abroad, the life of the ' ' Government would not be placed in jeopardy. Every Member of the House had the responsibility of asking himself for what- had the last war been fought. Was it freedom? He had had a good j look at freedom since he returned from | overseas service and had looked side- | ways at it. He thought the key thing 1 was security and that was whatlie and I thousands of his comradcs had fought i for and voted for. What we were look- ! ing for was security against war. Here, ! howevor, he disagreed with the Atj lantic Charter and for "freedom 'from" he would substitute "security! against". He looked for security of national and international prosperity, security against ignorance and illlicalth, security of the young, the old and inlirui, security for the right to livo and the right to work, and to have leisure associated with pieasure. He wanted security Of the democratie francliise for the people of our own country together with the acceptance of responsibilities of that francliise. Whai was wanted, too, was the quality ot lolerauce. Mr. Baxter was paid the compliment of prolonged applause from the Government and Opposition benclies when he resutned his seat, after which the adjourmnent was moved and the House rose at 9.23 until 7.30 p.m. tomorrow when the Leader of the Opposition will open the debate.