Mr D. F. Quigley Explains National’s Philosophy

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30288, 14 November 1963, Page 19

Mr D. F. Quigley Explains National’s Philosophy

“This New Zealand flag behind me symbolises the change in thanking that has taken place in New Zealand over the last three years. At the last election, we of the National Party in Sydenham spoke with the Union Jack art. our back.” Mr D. F. Quigley, the party's candidate for the electorate, told an attentive audience of 30 in the R.SA.. hall in Barrington street last evening. “The Common Market negotiations woke up many New Zealanders to the fact that the ties of Commonweailth are not as strong as they were many years ago,” said Mr Quigley. “We in New Zealand realised we were a nation and had to stand on our own feet.

“This flag shows we of the Sydenham National Party are aware of the individuality of New Zealand, and will strive for our own country, which is New Zealand. It is ain attitude which is part of our philosophy of life.” he said. It was important that the philosophy of the party elected to power should be as nearly as possible that of New Zealanders in general, Mr Quigley added. “How you vote cm November 30 will determine what philosophy is put into practice for the next three years—and perhaps for many years, for once legisla-

tton has been passed it can’t be changed overnight. It tends in fact to get built into our system of government and our way of doing things.” Actions Compared The three years just past, and the preceding three years, had given the people of New Zealand ample opportunity to compare the philosophies of the two main parties, said Mr Quigley. “We have seen how a conservative Government has handled circumstances very similar to those which faced the Labour Party when they went in in 1957,” he said, “In 1957, Labour was faced with falling farm prices, and in 1958 we sa<w their way of handling that crisis. There was higher taxation, tightened creddit, and a general slowing-down of business. “The position was largely corrected by the end of Labour’s first year. Prices for our exports rose, and in that Government’s third year the doors were opened to imports, probably a little too widely. Then prices fell again, and when National came to power we faced a deficit of £5O million.

“Many New Zealand economists advised us to follow the same crash tactics that Labour had employed. But the Government knew from past records that foiling prices were sooner or later succeeded by rising prices. If the economy could be put on an even keel, and the rises and falls levelled out the people of New Zealand would be given the incentive to invest their money where iit would work for their own and the country’s good. “After a year or so, with the people knowing they had a Government working on a long-term and not a threeyear basis, the economy came right. While the National Government could not, of course, claim all the credit fo- tlie price increases for meat and wool, it had created the conditions of stability through which New Zealand was in a position to ‘get on the march again.’ “As the result of the Government’s policies, one of the most serious economic crises in the history of New Zealand passed largely unnoticed.” said Mr Quigley. “What would have happened if we had adopted crashtactics? Thousands and thousands would have been out of work. Their production would hare been lost and also their self-respect.”