COMMUNIST POLICY

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29368, 22 November 1960, Page 18

COMMUNIST POLICY

“Fight Monopoly

Now”

The Communist Party’s biggest handicap in the General Election campaign was “getting to the people,” the party candidate for Christchurch Central, Mr J. G. Locke, said at a street corner meeting in Kilmore street last evening. Mr Locke said that the party had made approaches for broadcasting time, as ir 1957, but had been refused.

“The only time they allowed us to broadcast was during the war when we supported war loans," he said.

“The only paper that will accept paid advertisements and other material—and we give them full credit—is the local morning paper, “The Press,” which still believes in democracy as far as the election is concerned and gives all facilities to the four parties contesting the election," Mr Locke said. Referring to a recent speech by the Leader of the Opppsition (Mr Holyoake) advocating reintroduction of compulsory military training. capital punishment and “concentration: camps” /or juvenile delinquents. Mr Locke said they were not methods to deal with problems: they were mere penalties.

Criticising the Labour Party Mr Locke said it had originally been a working class party but had abandoned its philosophy of socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange and had become “just another party that says it can administer capitalism.” Mr Locke said the Communist Party’s main campaign was directed at freeing New Zealand from the grip of overseas monopolies. Takeovers by foreign companies of New Zealand industries were ' resulting in undue influence on New Zealand policies from beyond New Zealand shores. That should be

stopped. The Communist policy could be summed up: “Fight Monopoly Now.”

Monopolies should be nationalised. One example was the trust hotels where profits were put back to the community. Preferential Voting Mr Locke said his party was criticised for placing candidates in opposition to Labour nominees and causing a split vote.

“Well, we did not create the situation; if we did not stand we would not be doing our duty for the working people because Labour is not,” he said.

At any time since 1935 Labour could have brought in the old and traditional system of preferential voting. “That would have overcome this bogy of the split vote,” he said.