Lack Of Consultation Denied

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31598, 8 February 1968, Page 1

Lack Of Consultation Denied

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Feb. 7. - The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) said today he was most concerned that there was a widespread but mistaken belief that the views of the wheatgrowers were not considered before the Government set the new wheat price. “This Government has a good democratic record for consulting the people, especially those directly concerned,” he said. “I have made inquiries and the information supplied to me shows that we upheld this record by seeking the views of the growers.” The Wheat Board, which included two farmers—Mr G. A. Nutt, a former chairman of the Dominion agricultural section of Federated Farmers, and Mr S. J. Lister, the present chairman of that section—was responsible for advising the Government on wheat production. ADVISORY COMMITTEE

A special advisory committee of the board met 11 times last year, in the course of which it consulted the growers and other interested parties and prepared a report f-r the board.

The members of that committee included Mr Nutt and Mr Lister. It consulted United Wheatgrowers, the elected representatives of the growers, and Federated Farmers before recommending a new price to the board with only one member dissenting. The board sent its advisory committee’s recommendations for the new price to the Associate Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Shelton) on November 8. Mr Shelton then asked Mr L. C. Dunshea, general manager of the Wheat Board, to outline to United Wheatgrowers the recommendations of the board’s advisory committee. TALKS ON REPORTS

On November 21 Mr Shelton met Messrs R. J. Rainey, S. J. Lister, R. H. McKenzie and F. J. Henshaw, of United Wheatgrowers, to discuss the advisory committee’s report. “The only other body that could have been consulted at this stage was Federated Farmers, which is concerned with the well-being of all farmers, including wheatgrowers,” Mr Holyoake said. “The Minister felt there was no need to do this. Apart from having Mr Lister as its representative on the Wheat Board and its advisory committee, senior representatives of Federated Farmers had already put forward their organisation’s views at meetings of the advisory committee,” he said. It had been claimed that

Mr Shelton had said Federated Farmers would be consulted.

“Actually, Mr Shelton said that the Wheat Board would invite discussion with United Wheatgrowers, which closely collaborates with the Dominion agriculture section of Federated Farmers on such matters,” Mr Holyoake said. “Besides being represented on the Wheat Board and its advisory committee and, through collaboration, by United Wheatgrowers, Federated Fanners bad additional special opportunities to make its views known as I have outlined,” he said. Mr Holyoake said that the Cabinet appointed a special

committee to consider wheat prices on December 11. “It should be clear that the decision to reduce the wheat price for 1969 was taken only after the Cabinet was made fully aware of the views of all concerned through the report of the Wheat Board and the representations made to the Associate Minister of Industries and Commerce by United Wheatgrowers. “With all the facts at its disposal and with the views of the growers in mind, the Cabinet made its decision only after a very thorough examination of the situation,” he said.