““Time for a change in Sydenham”

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33064, 3 November 1972, Page 10

““Time for a change in Sydenham”

If the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) upset the Federation of Labour or did not follow its wishes, his party would be reduced overnight to the standing of the Social Credit or New Democrat parties, said Mr J. F. Burn, National Party candidate for Sydenham, in his first election address in the Centennial Hall, Spreydon, last evening. About 65 persons, representing a cross-section of ages, attended the meeting. It was a most orderly one, questions mostly being confined to policy matters. The F.O.L. president (Mr T. E. Skinner) had said that if Labour did not win this election it would be the end of it as a party—and that could only mean that union support would be withdrawn, Mr Burn said. If it was asked why should not Labour have the support of the unions, the answe- was that New Zealand could not afford it, he said. The economy depended on a balance kept between production and the cost of production. If the trade unions could keep demanding higher wages, the price of goods increased and rampant inflation occurred. This meant that the Government must act firmly and fairly with the unions, but it

was questionable whether a Labour Government would act fairly and firmly between unions and the rest of the country, Mr Burn said. The Labour Party had said that it would abolish the Remuneration Authority, but this would remove the only institution which stood between the people and “inflationary chaos,” he said. Only a party controlled by trade : unions would do such a thing. The National Party Would win the election because ci the basic fairness of New Zealanders, said Mr Bum. The Labour Party had a poor team, a record the country had already turned down, and nothing in the way of new policies to attract other than their own members. “Sydenham has 11,000 households of fair-minded New Zealanders—and I am sure that when they realiy compare the parties, their leaders, and their records, they will, if not return me, then return Norman Kirk with a majority so reduced it will give him the fright of his easy-going life,” Mr Burn said. “It is time for a change in Sydenham. In more years than I like to think of, the Labour Party has done nothing for this electorate—whether in or out of office ”