NOT APOLOGISING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 August 1938, Page 6

NOT APOLOGISING

MR SEMPLE & MRS STONE REFUSAL TO WAIVE PRIVILEGE. FOLLOWING ON ATTACK IN THE HOUSE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “I have no apologies to make or regret to express,” concludes a letter written by the Minister- of Public Works (the Hon R. Semple), in reply to a request from Mrs E. L. Stone, a member of the National Party, that he should waive his Parliamentary privilege and consent to her issuing a libel suit against him for his attack on her in the House. The following is a copy of the letter, which is dated August 9, addressed by the Minister to Mrs Stone: — Mrs E. L.’Stone, 77 Roxburgh Street, Wellington. Dear Madam, —I received your letter of July 30 in which you ask me to waive my Parliamentary privilege and consent to your issuing a libel suit against me. Your legal adviser must know that no member of Parliament has a right to waive his privileges; Parliament has conceded these rights to members for centuries, and no member of his own volition can interfere with those rights; that is for Parliament itself to do. You complain of my attacking a woman. Surely, when you made such a statement, you were aware that, while no one would wish to .restrict the political liberty of women, anyone making a statement of this nature in which reflections were cast on the moral character of those politically opposed to her, must expect, and richly deserve, severe censure. The delay in- answering your letter (which was received at my office the day following its publication, in, the Press) was primarily due to the fact that I have been out of town, and, secondly, I wished to make doubly sure that you used the words ’ complained of. In view of the information that I have received from some of those who have listened to you, I am still convinced that you did make this statement, and created in the minds of your audience an. impression that, if Labour continued in office, the marriage tie would be in danger and the morals of the nation in jeopardy. In your letter you speak of cowardice: I can conceive of nothing more lacking in courage and fair play than the statement attributed to you. Your statement was not only an insult to the men in the Labour movement, but was also a definite reflection on tens of thousands of women throughout this country who support the movement,’ and it was in their defence that I was prompted to make the attack complained of by you. In connection therewith, I have no apologies to make or regret to express. Yours faithfully, R. SEMPLE. MRS STONE’S COMMENT. WELLINGTON, This Day. Mrs Stone informed the • Wellington “Evening Post” yesterday afternoon that she had received Mr Semple’s letter, and stated that she could not see any difficulty in Mr Semple' waiving his Parliamentary privilege if he wanted to. In any case, there was nothing to prevent him .from repeating the statements on the public platform as he said he would when he so bravely stood tp his guns' in Parliament. “He has had ample opportunity to -do this,” continued Mrs Stone. “I notice that he spoke at Ngaio on Monday night, but he was apparently not willing to repeat his words there. Why? He is a very brave Mr Semple when he stands up in the House and protests his willingness to repeat his statements ‘on every public platform in New Zealand,’ but he is a different Mr Semple when he fails to do that and finds another convenient privilege which prevents him from waiving his Parliamentary privilege.” ’