REPLY TO MINISTER

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 102, 25 January 1943, Page 4

REPLY TO MINISTER

Statement About N.Z. Division Denied DISCUSSION IN HOUSE (By Telegraph.—Dress Association.) CHRISTCHURCH January 23. Parliament was never given the opportunity to discuss where the New Zealand Division would serve, said tlie Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, replying to the statement by the Minister of Supply, Mr. Sullivan, that Parliament as a whole and not the Govei'iimont' or War Cabinet unanimously rescued the decision followed. “I wish emphatically lo contradict rhe statement,” said Mr. Holland. “Mr. Sullivan in his statement is giving information about a secret session—which is supposed to be secret —but that would not be so bad if what he said gave a proper picture of the position. Mr. Sullivan speaks of the decision /being made by a unanimous vote of Parliament. In point of fact no vote of Parliament has ever been taken as to where the Division should serve.

“The simple facts are that the negotiations over the disposition of the Division were undertaken between Mr. Fraser and Mr. Churchill without consultation with Parliament, and without its knowledge or concurrence. The first I knew of the negotiations was when cablegrams were read to jis in secret session and the Prime Minister told us the War Cabinet’s decision, which left Parliament no option but to agree. To say that. Parliament made the decision is entirely wrong.” Mr. Holland said he was not at liberty to disclose what happened in tlie secret session, but since Mr. Sullivan had told the public that the decision was unanimous, which it was not, he wished to make it quite clear that lie himself was not aware of any negotiations until they were completed. Moreover, lie had objected strongly to such negotiations being opened without the prior approval of Parliament. He was satislied that, had Parliament been consulted before Mr. Churchill was approached a course very different from that taken would have been adopted.