“THAT'S A LIE"

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 203, 16 November 1927, Page 11

“THAT'S A LIE"

LABOUR MEMBERS EXCITED WORDS ON PARTY FUNDS (THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. “That's a lie! It’s a lie!” It is not often, even in the extreme of heat of a Parliamentary debate that this expression is flung unreservedly across the chamber in the House of Representatives, but it was a white-faced and angry member of the Labour Party who called it over to the Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister of Lands, this evening when the imputation was made by the Minister that the Labour Party’s balance sheet, if published, would not disclose onetenth of the money received by the party. Mr. McLeod replied to Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition* who had inferred that breweries’ money had put many members into Parliament at the last general election. Mr. Holland had deliberately introduced the worst party politics into a discussion on a Bill that was supposed to be a non-party measure, I said Mr. McLeod, who refuted the j suggestion that Reform members had been assisted by liquor-trade money, ; and said that as one who handled the party funds, he knew that the money • in the party fund had come from all j sections of the community opposed to j extreme Labour. Mr. H. T. Armstrong. Christchurch | East: Show us your balance sheet. Mr. McLeod: You would not for one moment disclose your balance sheet. “Sure,” came from several Labour members, and Reformers said •‘Hear, hear!” Mr. P. Fraser, Wellington Central: You are judging people by your own standards. Mr. McLeod (speaking through several interjections): In any case how far would this balance sheet or the balance sheet of any party be believed. Mr. H. E, Holland: You are not suggesting that the balance sheet of the Labour Party is a faked one, are ypu? Mr. McLeod: I say that if it were published, the balance sheet of the Labour Party would not disclose onetenth of the money coming into the fund. This statement provoked a loud outburst from Labour benches, and Mr. Fraser called: “That’s a lie. It’s a lie,” while other members cried out their protests. Mr. Speaker: The lxon. member must withdraw that. Mr. Fraser, who obviously was very angry and pale, replied: I withdraw sir, and substitute inaccuracy—deliberate. _ The Speaker just caught the lowvoiced final word and called upon Mr. Fraser again to withdraw. Mr. Fraser: I withdraw. Mr. Speaker: Now, I will have to bring the Minister back to the ‘Bill. (Hear, hear.) Mr McLeod: I made this statement only because it was made by the other side as a direct statement against the Reform Party. There is no justification for it. Mr. Holland: Would you agree to this Bill going to a Select Committee and having evidence taken on every matter connected with it? Mr. Coates: Oh, that’s all show. Mr. McLeod: You know the difficulty in getting evidence before a Select Committee.