SPEEDING UP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 August 1939, Page 6

SPEEDING UP

URGENCY TAKEN ON BUDGET DEBATE DIVISION IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. UNIVERSAL PRICE URGED FOR PETROL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. When the House of Representatives met at 10.30 a.m.. Mr. A. G. Hultquist gave notice to ask the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr. Sullivan) whether he would set up a committee to investigate and advise him on the question of a universal freight-paid price for petrol, with the object of securing a universal price for this commodity throughout the Dominion. Immediately on the completion of formal business, the Acting-Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) moved that urgency be accorded the Financial Debate'. This -was opposed by the Opposition, who called for a division on the motion, which was carried by 42 votes to 23. The voting was purely on party lines. Urgency was thus granted. REPUDIATION LUDICROUS , DEBATE ON AMENDMENT. GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION VIEWS. WELLINGTON. This Day. In the House of Representatives, Mr ,H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition, Riccarton) seconded the amendment introduced by the Rt Hon G. W. Forbes on the previous evening. In answer to a question by Mr Speaker, the Deputy-Leader of tne House, Mr Fraser stated that he did not intend to regard the amendment as a motion of no-confidence, because it was not worded in that way.

Mr Fraser, speaking to the amendment, said it was quite unnecessary and there was no foundation whatever for the suggestion that repudiation had ever been contemplated. At best the amendment was merely a party stunt, or at worst it had the/ulterior motive of raising alarm about New Zealand’s financial integrity. Suggestions of repudiation were utterly ludicrous. Personally, said Mr Fraser, he could get no sugestion of repudiation from Mr Lee’s recent speech. The Opposition were just showing chagrin at the failure of a miserable party trick. Mr W. L. Bodkin (Opposition, Central Otago) said that at least the amendment had forced the Government to make a badly-needed statement.

While expressing appreciation of Mr Fraser's statement regarding overseas obligations, the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon A. Hamilton) said he considered that Mr Forbes had done the country a service by bringing the matter into the open and having it cleared up. He had always been satisfied that the Prime Minister and Cabinet members were prepared to honour all obligations, but he had some doubt about the attitude of some members of the Government.

Mr J. Robertson (Government, Masterton) said the Opposition had seized the opportunity to try to make party advantage out of the situation.

Mr Kyle contended that the people of the country were entitled to an explanation from the member for Grey Lynn (Mr J. A. Lee). The Left Wing of the Labour Party had done nothing but try to give the idea that New Zealand could not stand up to its obligations. Mr Bodkin asserted that the amendment had forced the Government into the open and made it nail its colours to the mast. Mr C. L. Carr (Government, Timaru) suggested that the Opposition’s action woukUhave the effect, both here and abroad, of strengthening the opinion of the Government’s unimpeachable integrity. The debate was carried on on these lines until ihe adjournment at 1 p.m.