Australian Experience After C-Day

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31166, 16 September 1966, Page 12

Australian Experience After C-Day

When Australia introduced decimal currency last February many New Zealanders, including decimal currency authorities, observed the operation and its effects at the critical moment of change. Events since then are equally important, for they are revealing the real merits and the real difficulties arising from the policy followed in Australia. Mr R. W. Parry, in his address to the Data Processing and Computer Society in Christchurch, has given a useful commentary on what might happen here if Australia’s lessons are not learned. Mr Parry would like to see complete conversion to decimal currency in one day. This is too much to expect. Mr Parry himself gave one reason why the period of conversion in New Zealand must be much longer than that: New Zealand cannot afford to replace office machinery overnight. The time needed, however, will be the most important of factors determining the ease with which New Zealanders adopt the new currency. With Australia’s experience in mind, the Government and the Decimal Currency Board should continue to make every effort to reduce the period during which two currencies will be used. The estimate of the time has already been reduced and everyone will benefit from a further shortening of the period. Mr Parry—perhaps with his tongue in this cheek—mentioned political motives for the adoption of decimal currencies by other countries. He said that Australia and New Zealand were now lamely following suit. Quite apart from the inherent merits of the decimal system the change is, in fact, forced upon New Zealand. When Britain adopts decimal currency the £ s. d. system will belong to the past—and so will the manufacturing of machinery suited to the system. Valuable as his rather gloomy observations on Australian experience may be to businessmen and to experts on decimal currency, they should not be interpreted by a wider public to mean that the conversion in New Zealand next year will inevitably be a difficult or confusing experience. For most persons it will be simple. His advice against delay in fully adopting the new currency and in favour of banishing the old currency as quickly as possible is sound advice to everyone.