“LABOUR IS BRITISH”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 452, 6 September 1928, Page 11

“LABOUR IS BRITISH”

debate on nationality BILL

EXCLUSION OF UNDESIRABLES Cl HE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, To-day. Were im Ported into RrVrr 1 *" discussion on the nt.sh Nat'ongdity Status Aliens 1 evening, when Mr. G. W. that e A Sa ', d l hat '* was not strange the B e n Labour c> Part y supported „t B tu - aS British nationality meant nothing to Labour members. The discussion -was opened by Mr. ir. E. Holland, who said it had taken ixe years for the Government to come round to Labour’s view on this ques-

. Mr. J. A. Nash: You’ve done well. * VIF ’ Holland: Yes, considering the material we had to work on, we have. Mr. Forbes said that British nationality meant nothing- to the Labour. Party, whose gospel was to “do away with all nationalities in the establishing of the brotherhood of man.” I disagree with them,” said Mr. rorbes. “Our British nationality is one at. thinss we should keep.” Air. P. Fraser: To ourselves. Mr. Holland said that Mr. Forbes was using silly arguments. Mr. H. G. R. Mason said that Mr. 1* orbes had made a curious speech. At present there was no British nationality, only Empire nationality. Those things Mr. Forbes prized so much could not be secured unless the law was altered as proposed in the Bill. Mr. Fraser said that Mr. Forbes’s speech was extraordinary, even for Mr. b orbes. To say that Labour attached no importance to British nationality was absurd. On this question the Labour Party was proving itself infinitely more British than Mr. Forbes, who was simply posing as a Little New Zealander.

The Hon. F. J. Rolleston, AttorneyGeneral, said that he was sorry he hadn’t explained the Bill to Mr. Forbes’s satisfaction. This Bill accepted the standards of British nationality adopted by othr parts of the Empire, but that did not compel Nev/ Zealand to accept anyone and everyone who fulfilled the conditions of that standard, because clause 5 of the Immigration Restriction Act gave power to exclude anyone, and that power was specifically preserved in the Bill 1 before the House. Mr. J. A. Lee: You’d want a brace and bit. Mr. Rolleston said that there would always be anomalies and difficulties while the present law was in force. Mr. H. T. Armstrong said that if the Bill were not passed New Zealand would make itself the laughing stock of the Empire.. Mr. E. P. Lee said that he was opposing the Bill for the safety of the Dominion and the purity of the race. The Bill showed a complete reversal of opinion on the Government’s part sinco 1923. Naturally Labour would support the Bill. It was part of Labour’s policy to break down the barriers of Empire,. but they would be in strange company in divisions on this Bill. promised on the third reading to show that there was no demand from other parts of the Empire for this Bill, which was the abrogation of New Zealand’s rights. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart said that Mr. Lee was exaggerating the danger. Evidently he thought great hordes of undesirable people would be moving from one part of the Empire to another. Mr. IT. G. R. Mason also attacked Mr. Lee’s viewpoint. Mr. J. A. Kyle said that he had never* heard Mr. Mason wax so eloquent, nor the Labour Party so British. Mr. J. A. Lee said that the discussion has at least shown some members liow British the Labour Party really is. On the division the clause under discussion was passed by 43 votes to 13, as compared with 38 to 15 on the second reading last week.