COMMUNIST MENACE AND N.Z. SECURITY

Grey River Argus, 22 September 1948, Page 5

COMMUNIST MENACE AND N.Z. SECURITY

Prime Minister Speaks Plainly Question of Puiblic - Service

P.A. WELLINGTON, Sept 21. The House of Representatives resumed the estimate debate tonight. Mr G. H. O. Wilson, (Government Palmerston North) discussing me Public Service' Commission, said that there should be a properly appointed body, as there was in England, to try persons in respopnsible positions who became involved in security breaches. The problem was a difficult one; He said it would apply to very few, if any, persons in the Public Service in New Zealand. As the situation stood, the Public Service Commission was judge, jury and administrator of its own case; The whole of the traditions of democracy were involved. The civil servant had the right to have his case heard by an independent body. ■ Re. Hon. Mr Fraser said 'that we would be deceiving ourselves if we shut our eyes to the fact that there was a Communist menace in this country—as their was in other countries —its mission being to overthrow governments, in the interests of dictatorship, and, above all, in the interests of Soviet . Russia. The Public Service Commission had appointed men to certain positions, and if they could not be relied upon, then the position for the country would be fraught with danger wnen it came to the question of security/ and scientific work. To anybody wild studied them, the Communists had seemed to be peaceful and friendly, but then they turned and “stabbed you in the back,” as jthey had done in Java. Mr Fraser said that he did not want to rouse any hatreds of any kind, but the Government had to have a sense of responsibility. The very fact that there were some who belonged to organisations which held Communist opinions, was sufficient to debar them from holding positions of security in this country. The Public Service Commission must be alive to them, and there must not be in the Army, Navy, the Air Force or the scientific departments, those who were likely to ally themselves to some other country. Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Nat. Waitomo): “Was not Drennan’s statement an admission that he is an enemy of the State now?”

Mr Fraser: "I dont’ know that he was correctly reported.” .. Mr D. C. Kidd (Nat Waimate): “Why not give these fellows a passport to Russia?” Mr Fraser: "Gladly!” Dr. A. M. Finlay (Govt. North Shore) said that Mr Fraser’s statement was borne out by the report of the Public Service Commission, which had referred to this matter in a carfully worded statement indicating that there was no risk of any injustice being done to those who had nothing to fear. Mr Fraser, replying to questions put by Mr D. M. Rae, speaking to the vote for the Department of Island Territories, said that the industrial unrest in the Cook Islands had abated. There was no doubt that the Cook Islands Progressive Association was encouraged by a certain group in Auckland. Had those who wished to cause trouble not been checked, they would have prevented the handling of important food cargoes in the islands. Mr Fraser said that he thought that the situation had been cleared up, and he' hoped that the good'conditions now prevailing would continue. Should there be any rearudescence of the trouble, it would be necessary to send another police party or to maintain a larger permanent force in the islands. The troubles had arisen from misunderstandings and partly from the perverted iaea of some individuals that if Britain or New Zealand spent money in any dependent territory, exploitation was inevitable.