“PLENTY TO DO”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31224, 23 November 1966, Page 17

“PLENTY TO DO”

N. E. Kirk (Labour)

This opportunity to address i few words to the electors of Lyttelton is very much appreciated and I thank “The Press’ for it The Lyttelton electorate is a widespread area with many diverse interests and varied needs.

During my nine years as member for Lyttelton a great deal has been achieved. Local

legislation entrusted to me: passed by Parliament has, included such measures as the Summit Road Protection Act, the Central Electric Power: Board Act which substantially lowered peninsula elec-l tricity accounts, a measure to authorise the reclamation of: McCormacks Bay. the Akaroa: County Empowering Act and many others. Grants have been obtained; for various community pro-] jects. New class rooms, educational facilities, roading, grants, housing loans, and I improved T.V. translator service in a number of districts are among the achievements while I have been your representative in Parliament. Though this and much more has been achieved, there still remains plenty to do. Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands has an urgent need for an airfield now that a firm decision to withdraw the Sunderland flying boats has been made. It is a sorry reflection on this Government that the new airfield has not been constructed even though the National Government started promising it 12 years ago. The potential of Akaroa as a tourist and holiday resort is well known. For this reason it is both amazing and depressing that the National Government should have refused assistance to applicants wanting to provide hotel accommodation on the grounds that Akaroa is not a tourist centre!

There is a need in some parts of the electorate for a review of certain school bus runs. In some areas children are walking quite a distance on narrow winding roads because the present inflexible rules do not permit extensions to be made. Some more discretion must be given to the Education Board to enable it to deal with this.

Industrial development can be encouraged by lowering transport costs and the phasing out of road tunnel tolls can help with that In some districts manyelderly folk on fixed incomes and some of those with young families have found rising rate demands a burden. The Lyttelton electorate is no exception, and very real relief can be provided byLabour’s rate rebate scheme. These are but a few of the matters needing attention. You know from past experience that I am interested to do all I can to help in every part of the electorate. I do not subscribe to the current unhappy and dubious proposition being postulated by National Party candidates that the level of Government activity and expenditure in any locality depends upon political partiality and votes. This sort of pork barrel patronage has been foreign to the New Zealand political scene to this point. It would be best left in the country of its origin. In our view, each district, regardless of political considerations, is entitled as a right to receive fair, just and proper attention to its needs. Under a Labour Government this will always be so.