NO-CONFIDENCE ISSUE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 18, 16 October 1942, Page 4

NO-CONFIDENCE ISSUE

Debate In Parliament MANY SPEAKERS TAKE PART Motion And Amendment The debate on the Opposition’s no-confidence motion and the Government’s amendment to it was continued in the House of Representatives yesterday. Urgency was taken with a view to finishing the debate last night; but at 2 o’clock this morning it was still continuing. Many speakers took part, including the . Minister of Armed Forces and War Coordination, Mr. Coates, who emphasized the grave threat to New Zealand as a result of the southward thrust of the enemy. He was followed by the Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr. Sullivan. Several other Ministers contributed to the discussion, and other Opposition speakers included ' Mr. Forbes (Hurunui) and the National Party Ministers who resigned from the War Administration. Mr. Harker (Opposition, Waipawa) emphasized that the real point at issue was the ■welfare and safety of the Dominion both externally and internally. The Government had run away from its duty to uphold the law, thus violating the principles for which the country was at war. The trend of politics as practised by the Government was inculcating disrespect for the law in the country, and it was time the Dominion began to grow a spina If a blow was to be struck for freedom, then someone must take a stand on principle. This was what the Opposition had done in withdrawing from the War Administration. All thinking people - would applaud the action taken by the Leader of the Opposition. Better Understanding Urged. A plea for a better understanding of the miners and their conditions of work was made by Mr. Moncur (Government, Rotorua), who had been in Huntly during the strike. Much of the criticism in Opposition speeches, he said, showed a lack of knowledge of mining conditions. It might be asked why, if coal production last year throughout the Dominion was a record, the stock position had been found so low. When Japan entered the war the railways had 55,000 tons of coal in stock, and yet when the Huntly strike began the stocks- were only 14,000 or 15,000 tons, There were several explanations, the chief of which was that it was no longer possible to import coal from Australia. Furthermore, railway traffic had very greatly increased because of military haulages and the added strain thrown on the railways as a result of the petrol and tyre position, which meant that quantities of goods which formerly went, by road were transferred to the railways. Control of Mines. Information us to whether the control introduced at the Waikato mines was to be extended to other mines was sought by Sir Alfred Ransom (Opposition, Pahiatua). ‘‘lf it is considered necessary for the Waikato mines to be brought under State control, surely it is just as necessary for the mines on the West Coast,” he said. The Minister of Public Works, Mr. Armstrong, said that the Leader of the Opposition would have committed a grave error of judgment if he had acted as he suggested the Government should have acted in regard to the miners. This country had been one of the most peaceful in the world since the outbreak of war. there being less strikes and more production. New Zealand owed a lot to the (miners, who worked in one of the key industries. ‘‘Coal is so essential at all times that it is a question whether the mines should not always be controlled by the State, otherwise there is always the danger of paralysing the country’s industries because of an argument between the owners and- the miners,” said Mr. Armstrong. “If we had gone to the extent of nationalizing the mines that, would not be going too far for my liking, anyhow.” % Coal or Principle. "The issue to be settled in connexion with this strike was whether we were to have coal at any price or uphold the law,” said Mr. Goosman (Opposition, Waikato). Mr. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn) interposed with the remark, “Coal or chaos, you are making it?” Mr. Goosman: Coal or principle. Continuing, Mr. Goosman said that the majority of New Zealand people would endorse the decision of the Leader of the Opposition. The Prime Minister had made much of the need for unity, and rightly so, but he could not expect unity unless he promoted confidence. Mr. Lee: There can only be perfect unity under a feuhrer. Democracy implies division of opinion. Mr. Goosman said the people were disturbed and were asking “what next?” He asked if the Government proposed to revise the regulations concerning strikes. They had been found unworkable. “The real blame for the strike lies with some of the men who occupied the foremost positions in the Government today,” he continued. "When they were young and hotterheaded they had led strikes. Ministerial office bad apparently brought a greater sense of responsibility and the people would forgive them if thev were to say they realized they had been wrong. This would go a long way to averting strikes. They ought to renounce the acts of their youth." Mr. Lee’s Attitude. Stating that lie did not intend to take part in the division as he had no enthusiasm for the motion or amendment, Mr. Lee said the Government should extend the same clemency to other New Zealanders as that shown to the miners. Those others had been severely punished and were losing leave because of their actions. “These men had a legitimate grievance aud I ask that the harsh penalties be waived.” lie said. The motions before the House were virtually ones of no-confidence in both sides of it. The debate was the result of a party squabble. "I want to know what the Opposition is going to do to Mr. Coates and Mr. Hamilton. Is the National Party going to bring out its political firing squad?” In his opinion the rank and file of the party would agree witli Messrs. Contes and Hamilton in the present situation rather than with the Leader of the Opposition. Inconsistency Alleged. The Minister of Health, Mr. Nordmeyer, said that if the action of the Leader of the Opposition in withdrawing from the War Administration and his subsequent, speeches and statements were as he claimed the result of deep and earnest thought, then lie shuddered to imagine what would

happen if the Leader of the Opposition were forced to make quick decisions. He had taken pains to inform the House that his withdrawal from the War Administration had been dictated by conscience, but were not the member for Kaipara and the member for Wallace entitled also to act on their consciences by returning to the War Cabinet and serving their country in a patriotic endeavour to assist where they could? The Minister made an analytical examination of recent utterances of the Leader of the Opposition and other Opposition (members concerning a general election and charged them with gross inconsistency. He said that if the no-confidence motion was carried it meant dissolution of Parliament and an election. In moving the motion the Leader of the Opposition was bringing himself aud his party and not the Government before the critical examination of the country. Political Trick Seen.

The contention that Parliament was the place to consider the question of taking over control of. the mines was advanced by Mr. Forbes (Opposition, Hurunui). The Leader of the Opposition, he added, had gone into the War Cabinet on condition that any controversial matter was ‘avoided! as far as possible. The Leader of the Op-, position could not remain in the War Cabinet in view of the way he was treated. He could not understand why the Prime Minister and the others in the War Cabinet had shown such a hostile attitude toward the Leader of the Opposition, and it seemeef as if they wanted' to drive him out. “We have the amendment moved by the Prime Minister,” said -Mr. Forties. “That is an old ‘political -trick. This is not a time for political trickery and lam going to vote against it. I won’t vote for a Government that handled the Waikato strike like this one did. The introduction of the war effort into the amendment is simply dragging the war effort in the dirt.” Challenge to Resign. A challenge to the Leader of the Opposition to resign his seat in Parliament and to go to the poll on the present issue was issued by Mr. Kyle (Independent, Riccarton). He said that he was prepared to resign his seat in Riccarton if the Leader of the Opposition would resign his in Christchurch North. “I am prepared to make that challenge,” said Mr. Kyle, who received applause from members on the Government benches. Mr. Coleman (Government, Gisborne) : Contest which seat? Mr. Kyle: Contest Christchurch North. “I disagreed with the resolution of caucus that the miners be put in jail and thought it better to retire,” Mr. Kyle continued. “I am an Independent simply because I could not follow the resolution before the National Party caucus, nor could I support a resolution of loyalty and confidence in the Leader, so I retired when that motion was going to be tabled. I did not want to 'be expelled. The Leader had expounded the theory that those who could not give alleglence to the ■party could not remain in it. Rather than be pushed or asked to get out I retired.” (Left Sitting).