Budget Attack Weak, Says Prime Minister

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1046, 9 August 1930, Page 1

Budget Attack Weak, Says Prime Minister

“NO CASE AGAINST IT" ALL BEARING BURDEN TIIE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, Friday. The argument that the mildness of the criticism during the debate had indicated that there was no case against the Budget was advanced by the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. VV. Forbes, in his speech concluding the Budget debate in the House of Representatives today. Mr. . Forbes also said that the feeling of the public outside that the best course was being adopted in a case of financial stringency had no doubt influenced the utterances of members in the House. After stressing the financial disadvantages which had prevented the Government from carrying out its election promises—although, if finances were good, most of the pledges would bo carried out —Mr. Forbes said that his statement about the estimated £, 3,000,000 deficit waa made aftercareful study of the position by the departmental heads, and was not based on rough-and-ready analysis. Behind it there was the experience of officers of State. He had determined that it would be better to take the country into the Government’s confidence at once, instead of trying to conceal what inevitably would come out. He thought that any criticism offered by the Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. J- G. Coates, was offset by the fact of his having moved a motion of no-confidence, but the criticism of the former Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart (Reform—Dunedin West) was made from experience and an inner knowledge of the difficulties confronting a Minister of Finance. Mr. Stewart’s criticism was legitimate and fair. SPREADING TAXATION

Mr. Forbes differed from Mr. Stewart in his advocacy of taxing a few big items instead of spreading the taxation over a large number of small and irritating items. The Prime Minister thought it was fairer to spread the taxation as far as possible, and thus to give people the feeling that everyone was helping in a time of national depression. This had a good moral effect.

Discussing the suggestion of Mr. Stewart that the postage rates could be raised to provide revenue, Mr. Forbes said he could not see why the people, who used the Post Office should be called upon to bear a big share of the burden. The member for Mid-Canterbury, .Mr. D. Jones, had given the Government no credit for lifting the supertax on land and had claimed that the step was the result of the Hardship Commission and the word in the Act “Whatsoever.” The landowners had been considered by a very fair tribunal indeed and Air. Forbes thought that Mr. Jones could have spared a bouquet to the Government concerning the commission. Mr. Jones: It was quite a good commission. - Mr. Forbes said that it had come to his notice that landowners had boasted of the fact of having “put it over” the commission. That was not fair, for the commission had treated the landowners very fairly and openly and, he was sure, had made a careful examination of the cases.