SERVICE TO N.Z.

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20014, 12 August 1939, Page 7

SERVICE TO N.Z.

OPPOSITION CLAIM

GOVERNMENT STATEMENT

CLASH OF OPINIONS

MIL LEE’S UTTERANCES

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Opposition was not trying to get a party advantage through the antirepudiation amendment proposed the iRt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (Nat., Hurunui), said the -Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, in" the House of Representatives today Thev were trying to clear the matter up and the amendment had done that. When the deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser, stated that the country would stand up to its obligations and -pay its -way, the Opposition was with him. but they did want to clear up the talk about repudiation.

The Government was fond of accusing the Opposition of trying to damage the credit of the country, but things had been said by the Government members which were doing the real damage. Mr. J. A. Lee (Lab., Grey Lynn). You haven’t yet said a good word for New 'Zealand or about the terms we received. ■Mr. Hamilton said that under the existing conditions 'the terms given in London were good. Had any mernbci heard of any other country receiving better terms under similar conditions? If the terms were over-hard, that was the Government’s own fault for having got into the present position. “Gloating Over Terms” Mr. Lee: You are gloating over the hard terms. Mr. Hamilton: The -Government should have had money in London to meet some of the loan falling <fue, taut instead of providing for its overseas commitments, it had dissipated the sterling funds. -However, he stated, Mr. Fraser had done the -country a service by making his statement of the Governments attitude. „ , The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. .Semple: You knew all the time that the Prime Minister, who is lying sick, has said dozens of times that,, the country will honour its obligations. „ Mr. Hamilton agreed that Mr. Savage had been emphatic on the point, tout again pointed out that other members of the Government had been hinting at other things. , . . Mr. J. Robertson (Lab., Masterton) said the Opposition had seized ‘the opportunity to try to make a party advantage of the situation. Its action was calculated to damage New Zealand’s credit, and the implication of the amendment was damaging. It was not to the 'Opposition’s credit to bring it forward. , , Mr -H S. S. Kyle (Nat., Riccarton) contended that the amendment had caused the Government to place oefore the country a clear statement, and the Leader of the House knew it had consolidated the position of his party. Explanation Needed

The people of the country, he said, were entitled to an explanation from the member for Grey Lynn. The Left Wing of the Labour Party had done nothing but try to give the idea that New Zealand could *not stand up to its obligations. , A _ . .. The 'Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, accused Mr. Hamilton of having advocated payment of debts overseas, but repudiation of the debts to internal bondholders. Therefore, he said, he was advocating two ‘different standards of morality. Mr. W. A. Bodkin GNat., Central Otago) asserted that the Leader of the House should have risen immediately Mr. Lee had resumed his seat on Wednesday night and clarified the situation. At least, the resolution had compelled the Government to come out into the open and ‘nail its colours to the mast. Mr. Lee’s speech was one which had demanded instant action, but the Government had waited 36 hours before taking it. Mr. C. Carr (Lab., Timaru) contended that the action of the Opposition would have the effect, both here and abroad, ‘of strengthening the opinion of the Government’s unimpeachable integrity. “Insidious Attack” Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Nat., Waitomo) claimed that the amendment had done ■a great service to the country because it had forced the Govemmerit to clarify the position regarding the overseas and internal debt. There had been an insidious attack by the Left Wing of the Government on the commercial morality cf the country and this discussion had been a good lesson for the Left Wing. Dr. D. G. McMillan (Lab., Dunedin West) said the present was not the time when the Government could not meet its obligations. There had never been any question of repudiation. Members of the Opposition had been going round New 'Zealand trying to destroy the good name of the country, but they had been unsuccessful. (Mr. H. G. Dickie (Nat., Patea) wanted to know what Mr. Lee had meant by his statement that Vulcan would arise in New Zealand and free the country from the paper chains with which the financiers had bound it. Was that not repudiation? he asked.

IMr. Lee: I will send you a copy of my speech. Mr. A. S. Richards (Lab., Roskill): He probably wouldn’t understand it even, if you did. Mr. W. J. Lyon (La’o.. Waitemata) said the debate seemed to be revolving round an interpretation of Mr. Lee’s speech and the amendment, and was apparently an attempt to arouse interest in a flagging debate. He accused the Opposition of misrepresenting what Mr. Lee had said. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 1 p.m.