Speaking To Candidates

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32143, 12 November 1969, Page 19

Speaking To Candidates

By

A. D. Coates

G. R. Kerr Social Credit Marlborough

Before Social Credit can become the Government it must become an effective Opposition, considers Mr George R. Kerr, a farmer, of Seddon, who is standing for the sixth time for the Marlborough seat In this way, he says, the Government of the day can be persuaded to implement some Social Credit policies, and people will be able to see clearly, and in a practical way, the advantages. Aged 56, Mr Kerr is an old Social Credit campaigner and says he has been interested in Social Credit for years. His father was a Social Crediter as well as his father-in-law. Mr Kerr says he can talk Social Credit for hours. An earnest man, he admits to feeling a certain inadequacy at times in explaining theories he believes in. He says the original intention was an educational approach to spreading Social Credit ideas. It was realised, however, that this would not result in acceptance, and the only alternative was to become political. He says in the last six years Social Credit’s support has grown more than at any other time. By becoming an Opposition in Parliament, members would be able to demonstrate how they would effectively represent the people who put them there. “I don’t believe in. party polities,” Mr Kerr says. "It puts a restriction on those representing people first and foremost, and they-may Have to vote for something they don’t like.’' He describes himself as both idealistic and independent .■ He is not unduly concerned at the possibility that he may never get elected to Parliament “At least I will have helped establish principles and I get a lot of satisfaction out of meeting people who are increasingly interested,” he commented. Born and educated in Dunedin he took motor engineering at the technical school and once drove municipal buses there. Mr Kerr served six years with the Navy during the war—in minesweepers in the Pacific, Atlantic and around the coast of New Zealand. While in the Navy he studied economics by correspondence. He said former servicemen’s rehabilitation finance did not work too well in Marlborough and a property on which he worked for two years was “sold under our feet.” But he managed to get on to his present lOOacre property at Seddon where he produced milk for the Ward and Seddon supply for some years. Now he runs sheep, mainly Corriedales. Mr Kerr maintains half the evils of the present day can be traced to the faults of the monetary system. He argues that the break-down of the family unit is due in many cases to mothers having to work for money to balance the budget Lack of parental control over children is one of the reasons, he says, for our “restless society.” And he adds: “I believe no kid is bom bad.” Within a very short time, under a Social Credit system, the need for both parents to go out to work to keep abreast of the cost structure would be greatly lessened. Mr Kerr says he is not claiming that all mothers would stop working and that all children would be properly controlled,

but the need for people to rely so heavily on hire purchase, for example, would not be as great as at present. The big problem in Marlborough, according to Mr Kerr, is lack of development capital. He sees more being available locally if central Government did not have to rely so heavily on borrowing. And a Social Credit Government would make capital available for industry at low rates, be says. He envisages ideal development in the area as an extension of fanning—processing vegetables and other cropping—as well as light industry. Mr Kerr also thinks the Blenheim area would be an ideal place for Wellington firms to establish subsidiary industries. Its central locatiorj. and transport services, means that it is sometimes quicker to get goods to Wellington from Marlborough, than from other parts of the North Island. A trip overseas recently—to the United Kingdom and the Continent—gave him a first-hand look at container shipping. And Picton would be the logical place for a South Island container port, he says. With the capital available from a Social Credit Government, Mr Kerr sees planned expansion of the forest and allied industries. He says he does not want to give the impression he is not aware of the needs of the southern part of the electorate. Hamner, he says, could bedeveloped tremendously for tourists, and the hospital facilities at Cheviot need upgrading. People in rural districts have a right to expect maternity hospital facilities within a reasonable distance,' just as those in larger centres do, he considers. I asked Mr Kerr how people could be assured that a Social Credit Government could be trusted not to issue too much credit He maintains that the safeguards against this are already in existence —the Reserve Bank board would merely be reconstituted into a national credit authority. He says a judge of the Supreme Court would preside and members would be added from both sides of the House of Representatives. He says he does not see any great problems in demands for finance from different areas, and from pressure groups. These would be dealt with first at a regional level, with-loans boards representative of local bodies and other local interests including banks, and later at the national level.

Of Mr Cracknell, the leader of Social Credit, Mr Kerr says while he did not show the bombastic approach—“ranting and raving and waving his anus about”— which people have come to expect from political leaders, he is sincere and has shown he is prepared to stand by his principles. No-one could deny that Mr Kerr is utterly sincere. He is even prepared to concede that Social Credit in the past had given the impression it had the solution to all the country’s problems. “Social Credit will come in democratically with public acceptance,” he says. Meanwhile George Kerr will, until the election, continue to make calls and speak to people along the 1500 miles he travels each campaign.