A World Of Change

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30294, 21 November 1963, Page 8

A World Of Change

—M. A. Connelly (Labour)

The world in which we live is a world of change. Today’s I luxuries become tomorrow’s 1 necessities. Today's productive and selling methods can 'be out of date tomorrow. * Progressive nations and 'peoples surge on to higher I living standards, whilst the '; apathetic stagnate and fall i behind. A matter of 15 years ago—under a Labour Government ' —New Zealand was a world ; leader in the economic, social and welfare fields. We used Ito be copied by others. But that is not so today. W’e are falling behind. I We can either continue to do so; or we can adopt new' techniques, catch up with the i 'international field—and in- : deed stride ahead of it again 1 I —which is what an enterpris-l ring and forward looking people would do. ! These are the qualities of (New Zealanders, and this is .the road I believe they want to travel. ; How. can this be done, and what are the benefits, I new techniques in producing 1 and selling are needed. We •' must find out what goods people overseas need which i we can produce, at the price 1 they are willing to pay. i Then we must produce and sell them these goods. Quality land packaging will be imi portain t. I We are largely ignorant of i detailed world demands, ! trends and export “know- .! how” because nobody has taken the lead in finding out. Almost alone of the developed 1 countries we have spurned 1 economic planning. 1 Even conservative Britain | has taken up the challenge i thrown out by France. West {Germany and Japan and has ) established the National Economic Development Council. i In the United States, the 1 home of private enterprise, 1 they have a law charging 1 Congress with co-ordinating :and planning to promote I maximum production and 'other targets. Well, New Zealand must do .likewise. We must aim to take the lead in fields in which we are competent to lead. Processing our primary products .is the first. Now, that seems obvious, but how little we do in that field. We must turn New Zealand again into one of the giant exporting nations. Only by basing our whole future on export markets can we achieve large-scale economy so that New Zealand products can sell. Production targets must be {set and incentives to achieve them must be given. Labour’s policy provides these. ! Economic planning is, a 1 must. It involves co-opera-■tion between farmers, manu- : facturers. scientists, engin- ,! eers, workers and government ‘to set production targets and to achieve them. Incidentally, overseas the experience has been that pri- | vate enterprise participates voluntarily. The results 1 achieved under planning are {so good that they just cannot 1 afford not to be in. Labour's Export Development Agency {will undertake market re{search overseas. Our- Industrial Finance Corporation will provide the capital to 1 help establish new industries {and expand existing ones. Living standards are derierm inert by the volume and quality of a nation’s produc- | tion. 1 By boosting production, and iby ensuring that the benefit {is shared fairly, the living , standards of all—producers, { workers and beneficiaries j alike—will be raised under a Labour Government, while 1 new and exciting job and business opportunities will be provided.