MR COATES' PROTEST.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 28 August 1912, Page 3

MR COATES' PROTEST.

Mr J. Gordon Coates, Member for Kaipaia, in. tho course of his speech on the Budget in the House on Friday afternoon, took strong exception to the utterance of the member for Christ* church North earlier in the week that the present Government was " begotten by slander, shapen in intrigue,and born in dishonour." Discussing that rather unpleasant inference, Mr Coates declared that he, among others, had been responsible for actions and words which reflected gravest reproach on his political honour. First, he denied outright that slander had anything to do with his election. "As a matter of fact, I am in great sympathy with a lot of measures brought forward by the Ward Administration, but I think the Liberal party can account for their loss at the last election from the fact that they went to the '\\ polls with the worst policy eyer jL^jpught forward by them," he declare y^ji, adding, " I giv9 the Liberal party .11 credit for everything they have done." " As to the second term, 'shapen in intrigue.' " he went on, " I have had nothing to do with intrigue at any time. I have had nothing to do with either of the "Whips' rooms. I think I have been twice in each room." With regard to number three, " born in dishonour," the member contended that, so far from breaking election pledges by voting with the party which at present oooupied the treasury benches, it was absolutely necessary for members placed as he was placed to vote as they did in order to carry out their pledges to their constituents. Mr Isitt, in personal enplanation, assured the member for Kaipara that he had never in any way meant to reflect upon him by his remarks. "Personally, I do not think the member for Kaipara was bound by any pledge whatever," declared Mr Isitt.