'Snide Inferences’ Denied By Candidate

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31221, 19 November 1966, Page 19

'Snide Inferences’ Denied By Candidate

“As for ‘hanging on to my father’s coat tails’ —I couldn’t catch up with him,” said IMr R. Tirikatene, the Labour Party’s candidate for ■ Rangiora, in an election i address at Papanui North. I He was commenting on I reported remarks by the I sitting member, Mr H. E. L. i Pickering, that he (Mr Tirikatene) had made “snide inferences” that Mr Pickering had been neglectful of his electorate, and that the remarks were made from "some sense of guilt and inferiority.” Naturally he was proud of his father, as all sons are, said Mr Tirikatene. He had made no “snide inferences”; he believed that the present member could have done more.

Much had been made of] the effect of boundary adjustments on reducing the National majority in Rangiora, said Mr Tirikatene. In the last election Labour had received 1306 more votes than it had in 1960 for the old Hurunui electorate. After allowing for the transfer of three Amuri booths to Marlborough, this left Labour with a net gain of about 1000, he said.

The only sense of inferiority that he had was because he only halved the majority and not gained the lot, said Mr Tirikatene. “I have every confidence in Labour's policy which comes right down to the people,” said Mr Tirikatene.

He outlined policy points including.—Steps to aid local government finance; rating relief for the lower income bracket, especially pensioners; industrial incentives, and steps to arrest the drift to the north; reviews of the cost of living to see that workers got their fair share of the production increase; a complete review of the social security scheme; and farm production incen-

tives and help in marketing produce overseas. Rangiora was a focal seat, said Mr Tirikatene. It was the sixth lowest National majority in New Zealand and Labour needed to gain six seats to become the Government.