Country Party Convention

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32312, 2 June 1970, Page 12

Country Party Convention

The New Zealand Country Party will hold its second annual convention in Hamilton on June 13 and 14.

The leader of the party, Mr C. S. Emeny, of Stratford, said that the partys executive felt little consolation from seeing its pre-elec-tion statements about serious farm financial problems this season proved correct, or from the accuracy of forecasts about the inflationary effects of the National Development Plan, rising prices and widespread expansion of bureaucratic controls over prices, incomes and wages. Mr Emeny said that at recent farmers’ protest meetings, party supporters had opposed direct Government subsidy payments on farm produce as highly inflationary and requiring direct bureaucratic control of all farming. They had offered construe-; tive proposals for a “cost rebate system” on many farm production needs, which would stop rising prices being passed on to farmers Because Government policies caused most price increases, the Country Party demanded that some of the taxation collected from agriculture be used by the Government to hold farm costs.

The party was pleased to I see farming leaders now urging these proposals, he said.

The convention would complete policies for reducing farm costs, solving freezing works disputes, the dairy price and local butter sales, wool prices and marketing, Meat Board funds and meat works, the problem of rising prices for all New Zealanders, freer trade into New Zealand, the rising crime rate, taxation reforms benefiting all citizens, and efforts to stop the inflationary spiral of wages and prices, said Mr) Emeny.