Cost Of Election Promises Refused

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30477, 26 June 1964, Page 3

Cost Of Election Promises Refused

(From Our Porliamentarv Reporter)

WELLINGTON, June 25. The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) today declined to table in Parliament reports obtained by the Government from its departments on the cost of implementing Labour Party promises made during the election campaign in 1963.

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Nordmeyer) asked that Mr Holyoake table all the reports obtained from the Treasury on the Labour Party promises and also the cost of

all promises made by the National Government’s ministers and National Party candidates during the six months before election day.

Mr Holyoake replied that the information was based on information from a number of Government sources. The Government received hundreds of reports from inside and outside the Government and it would be placed in an impossible position if it were required to table all the relevant reports. Many of the Government's promises in that time had been carried out in the 1963 Budget, said Mr Holyoake.

He mentioned three promises made by ministers which had been carried out since the election and said that others would be put to Parliament for approval when the Estimates were discussed. The three promises were the payment by the State to local authorities costing about £1 million; the transfer of 2d tax on petrol to the National Roads Board funds, costing about £2.5 million; and the ruling rate survey for public servants costing about £6 million over 18 months. Could he ask the Leader of the Opposition to submit the report oh which its estimates of Government promises were based, he asked.