Labour Party policy on employment

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33067, 7 November 1972, Page 20

Labour Party policy on employment

It seemed probable that National Party members of Parliament and candidates in Christchurch were not on speaking terms with Government spokesmen, said Mr R. P. B. Drayton, Labour candidate for ’St Albans, in an election address last evening. Government spokesmen said that costs were being held; but a letter from the Canterbury division of the National Party said: “As a business man you will know that costs have increased considerably over the last three years; ours have, too . . .”

Mr Drayton addressed 36 adults and 33 children on the comer of Marshland Road and Pagoda Street for 12 minutes and answered questions for 15 minutes before moving on to another meeting.

He said that the Government policy of allowing the import of cheap goods from sweated labour countries of the Far East had brought a four-day week to a rubber industry factory not far from where he was speaking and textiles and rubber products at almost “dumped prices” had hit overtime and cost job opportunities in both ndustries. A Labour Government’s policy would give job opportunities for all. A plastic floor covering firm had imported a new rolling machine with Government knowledge at a cost of $250,000, but almost at the same time the Government had allowed the import of a cheap imitation covering—and the new machine had not yet been assembled. The National Party had 44 members of Parliament and half of them were farmers, Mr Drayton said.

“That is half from one occupation. I have nothing against farming, but it is no wonder that the Government could readily find s3sm for social security for sheep. A Labour Party Government will give you members who represent a wide spectrum of society and occupations.” Mr Drayton said there were 50,000 persons in New Zea-

Hand in desperate need of (housing and thousands upon: thousands who had been ( turned down when trying to; obtain State Advances Corp- ; oration mortgages to build: homes of their own. “This is because the Gov-1 ernment has used the building industry as a chopping I block for its disastrous; economic policies. A Labour; Government will provide houses for those who need! them and bring stability to the building industry instead of using it as a chopping j block,” Mr Drayton said.