COMMUNIST POLICY

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30286, 12 November 1963, Page 15

COMMUNIST POLICY

Mr Collins At Rryndwr

If the Communist Party came to power, New Zealand would raise loans at IJ per cent from Socialist countries instead of at 5j per cent from the World Bank, Mr W. J. Collins, the Communist Party’s candidate for Fendalton, told a street-corner audience of five adults and 25 children in Bryndiwr last evening. “We would borrow money from those who would lend it without military or political tags,” he said. The central point of the Communist Party programme was to free New Zealand from all outside influence, “whether from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, or anywhere else.” It would take New Zealand out of S.E.A.T.O. and A.N.Z.U.S, and instead aim to build up good will between this country and the people of South-east Asia. It would call for international sanctions against France because of her proposed Pacific bomb tests, oppose peace-time conscription, and cut defence spending from £3om a year to £sm. The party would nationalise the means of production, distribution, and exchange. It would develop basic industries as national assets. It would encourage small farmers to co-operate in the ownership of machinery, and so reverse the trend towards the disappearance of small farms. It would reduce the price of beer, tobacco and petrol. Mr Collins said the Communist Party was not allowed to publicise its policy. ‘They are afraid of it as if it Was holy water,” he said. “There's freedom of expression in this country, but it's devoted to Christine Keeler and Mr Profumo—pages and pages of it.” The Communist Party did not want to sell New Zealand out to foreign money lenders as National and Labour were doing. “We’re not foreign agents, as we’re so often told.” he added. “If you want to see the foreign agents, look around to see who’s selling New Zealand out for a few millions.” There were 1000 m people in the world under communism, he said. This was an easy figure to remember, because it was the same as the new Zealand national! debt. But for terror, corruption and bloodshed, all the world would be Socialist today.