OPPOSITION’S POLICY

Press, Issue 29236, 21 June 1960, Page 16

OPPOSITION’S POLICY

Statement By Mr Holyoake

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 20.

The early release of National Party policy was “plainly a case of applicants for a responsible office presenting evidence of their credentials and intentions,” the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holyoake) said in a statement today. “New Zealand politics have changed in the last three years. The Opposition used to be content merely to oppose the Government We have changed that approach and have met the demand that the critics state plainly what they would do if they had the responsibility,” Mr Holyoake said. Reviewing his recent “meet the people" campaign, Mr Holyoake said he had released about fourfifths of the National Party's policy for the General Election. “This politically historical action was taken because there was widespread public demand that the National Party should state clearly and unequivocally what its alternatives were,” said Mr Holyoake. “I think It was a reasonable demand to be made of any group which aspires to the Treasury benches under present conditions, and I think the encouraging public reaction I have received means that this early release of policy could well become a pattern in New Zealand politics in future It is plainly a case of applicants for a responsible office presenting evidence of their credentials and intentions.”

Mr Holyoake said his party’s 1960 policy would be issued as "a package document” in traditional manifesto form at the beginning of the election campaign. If. as a result of making it public early in election year, suggestions were made for amendment modification, or improvement these would most assuredly be built in to the final document. “Quite naturally a considerable number of the most important policy decisions will have to be made just before the election. These will depend quite considerably on the proposals in the forthcoming Budget and other economic factors existing at that time,” he added.