PARTIES AT ODDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1941, Page 4

PARTIES AT ODDS

SOME HEATED EXCHANGES IN HOUSE ACTING-PREMIER ACCUSES OPPOSITION, i ; SAYS IT IS DISINTEGRATING COUNTRY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Exchanges between the ActingPrime Minister, Mr Nash, and members of the Opposition occurred in the House yesterday afternoon when the Minister was replying to the Opposition criticism concerning the giving of insufficient details of the War Expenses Account and the war effort generally. Answering interjections, Mr Nash charged the Opposition with being more concerned with undermining the Government than assisting with the conduct of the war. Referring to the Opposition demand for more information about the War Expenses Account Mr Nash said he could not see how the Government could talk about expenditure on guns, rifles and equipment generally. It would be all wrong, and also a dangerous policy. A means whereby the House could look at war expenditure without information being given to the enemy had still to be devised. If some adequate and safe way could be suggested it would be examined. He knew of no way of giving the expenditure on the war except in the Budget, as had been done. Everything in the Budget was open to discussion in the House. Opposition members: “There was little detail.” Mr Nash: “Under the procedure passed by this House, it is impossible to bring more detail for it.” Mr Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitomo): “The statement made by the Minister of Defence was in detail.” Mr Nash said that the Government was asked to give more details about the war effort and what the Minister of Defence did was now the subject of complaint. For the last 12 months members of the Opposition and the Press had been crying or saying, “Tell us more. The Government is not doing enough.” The Minister of Defence went out of his way to consult with the chiefs of staff to see what the Government could tell the country, and his statement in the House was the result. There was no reason for members of the Opposition or Government members to say that the procedure being followed was wrong. Mr Nash complained that the Opposition inside and outside the House had set out to undermine the Government, and was more concerned with that than with assisting in the war effort. Mr Broadfoot: “What did you do?” Mr Goosman (Opposition, Waikato); to Mr Nash: “I think you should reconsider that statement.” The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland: “That is a terrible statement.” Mr Nash, in a heated reply, claimed justification for his remark, following Mr Broafoot’s interjection. He said the interjection was proof of what he had stated, that members of the Opposition were more concerned with undermining the Government, and disintegrating the country, than with assisting in the war effort. That was not the thing to do today. It was imperative that the right of criticism should be retained but the old method, which sought to discredit the Government, should cease for the time being.