VIOLENT DENUNCIATION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20014, 12 August 1939, Page 14

VIOLENT DENUNCIATION

FORMER GOVERNMENTS

"GREATEST R EPUI VIATORS”

MINISTER’S GASTIGATION

(Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this da

In a violent speech in the House of Representatives yesterday, tiie Minister of Housing, the Hon. 11. T. Armstrong denounced the Opposition as the “greatest crowd of repudiators that ever occupied seats in this Parliament or any other parliament in the world."

He declared that those opposed to the Government always considered the interests of the money bags in preference to the interests of the people. They had always sacrificed New Zealand and robbed the poor to help the money lender.

“They have done it in tiie past and they will do it again,’” he continued.

Mr. Armstrong contended that the financial interests in Engla’nd had as much confidence in New Zealand to-day as in the past. He denied that he had ever advocated repudiation, either inside or outside of Parliament. “It is a wild and malicious statement to suggest anything of the sort,” he said. "If it came to a show clown, and I had to decide between Christ and Barrabas, I know where I would be.”

The monetary system of the country was based on a foundation oi sand, declared Mr. Armstrong. Surely a person could not be considered disloyal to the Empire for advocating a reform of tiie financial system. That did not mean repudiation.

If, however, the game terms were imposed on loans falling due in five years, aggregating £136,000,000 in New Zealand currency, the country would be unable to meet. them. If such liquidation was expected, it would mean repudiation brought about by the people who imposed such impossible conditions. Everybody knew that New Zealand couid not comply with such terms. Those were the lines taken up by Mr. J. A. Lee.