OUR WAR EFFORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 December 1940, Page 2

OUR WAR EFFORT

STATEAiENTS. BY OPPOSITION MEMBER QUESTIONED in house OF REPRESENTATIVES. PROTEST BY MR. HOLLAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The propriety of statements on the war effort of the Dominion reported to have been made recently by Mr. Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga) was questioned yesterday in the House. The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser said he proposed to raise in secret session at night the question of whether the remarks of Mr. Doidge were correctly reported.;. Mr. Meachen (Government, Marlborough) asked the Prime Minister whether he had seen a statement ap-

PKciiJug leceuuy uenunng New Zealand’s war effort and whether, in view of the far-reaching effect such statements might have on the relatives of men in the forces, on New Zealand’s war effort generally and on the British public, he would, in conjunction with the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, take suitable steps to curb the “misleading, extravagant, incorrect and often irresponsible statements” which had been appearing. “The Press has recently reported alleged utterances by the member for Tauranga to the effect that New Zealand’s war effort is negligible and that we have sent only a mere handful of men overseas,” Mr. Meachen said in a note to his niiostinn

The question whether Mr. Meachen was entitled to'make an aspersion on one of the colleagues of the Leader of the Opposition was immediately raised by Mr. Holland. The Speaker, Mr. Barnard, pointed out that notice of the question was to be set down on the Order Paper. Mr. Holland: “There is no chance of discussing it. This is my only chance.” The Speaker said that the only question which concerned him was whether the question complied with the rules of the House. He gave an assurance that every consideration had been given by him before he passed the question. Thanking the Speaker for his ruling, Mr. Holland said: “This is the last day but one of the session. It is not play-

ing cricket.” “Who is not playing cricket?” asked Government members. Mr. Polson (Opposition, Stratford) said a newspaper report had been quoted, and he raised the question whether it was not desirable that the member for Tauranga should be given the opportunity of being heard before the House rose. The Minister of Health, Mr. Armstrong: “We have heard, too much of him.”

“To meet the wishes of the member for Stratford, if the member for Taurange feels he is misrepresented, I would be pleased to give him facility in the House to meet the occasion,” the Prime Minister said. Mr. Frases added that he proposed to mention the utterances of Mr. Doidge in the secret session.”

Mr. Polson: “If it is raised here, it should be replied to here.” Mr. Doidge then appeared in the Chamber, and the Speaker said the Leader of the Opposition had raised the question of how and when the matter should be dealt with. “Has it been decided when and how I should have tne opportunity of raising this question?” asked Mr. Doidge. Mr. Speaker: “That is a matter for the Leader of the Opposition.”