1949: We Want To Help Britain
December 23, 2020
By AHNZ
Prime Minister’s Christmas Message to Britain, 1949.
New Zealand’s National 1.0 finally came to power a few days before Christmas in 1949¹. PM Sydney Holland had been waiting in Opposition such a long time.
The little clip is completely composed of vague, empty, politician-speak but signals friendship and support for the British Empire. It may be that UK propagandists requested the leaders of their colonies to all send little video Christmas cards like these so they could be played in a montage. Something to cheer up the war-weary Brits while they counted their ration stamps?
At least the Cantabrian, Holland, sounded like a New Zealander (His predecessor spoke like the bad guy from Supergran.)
—
1 13 Dec 1949
Vid ref. British Pathé; Youtube
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Anarchist History of New Zealand: Bob Jones is a gifted comic writer who collects office buildings. - John Ansell
