Minister attacks H.A.R.T., C.A.R.E.

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33068, 8 November 1972, Page 1

Minister attacks H.A.R.T., C.A.R.E.

The Attorney-General (Sir Roy Jack) said last evening that H.A.R.T., CA.R.E. and the Nga Tamatoa group, in seeking to impose their ideas o-n the community by disruption, were acting more like Fascists or black shirts than democrats and, although idealistic, were a “mob of interfering individuals.” He said the essence of democracy was persuasion.

Sir Roy Jack made a strong attack on the groups at an election meeting in Christchurch last night while speaking in support of the National Party candidate for St Albans, Mr R. J. Doak.

Sir Roy Jack crossed swords w-ith about 120 young people at the Shirley Intermediate School, who kept up a barrage of interjections during his hour’s address. He asserted that H.A.R.T. and C.A.R.E. were made up

of “a big body of people with mistaken sincerity who were fundamentally undemocratic and much closer to fascism in their attitudes than he would like.” His attack brought prolonged heckling which the meeting chairman Mr E. B. E. Taylor stopped by warning that he would order some people to leave the hall. Five police including an inspector were present and two more were waiting in a patrol car outside. Sir Roy Jack said there was room for difference of opinion on many matters and one was how to deal with apartheid.

Bridge building There were those who imagined that by refusing to have contact with South Africa the problem of apartheid would fade out and all the races in that country would get equal treatment. He said he supported the policy of bridge building with South Africa as earlier enunciated by the Prime Minister (Mr Marshall). Sir Roy Jack was at pains to explain what he had meant when he recently said he had had “a gutsful of demonstrators.” The remark, he said, had assumed more fame than he had intended. It was related to the question of law and order. Larger penalties The kind of lawlessness he found distasteful was the throwing of eggs at people on their way to a ball, throwing tomatoes at the Gover-nor-General and insulting the

Vice-President of the United States. Sir Roy Jack said that the Government had for some time been considering increasing the penalties substantially to deal with marauding groups of demonstrators. He entered into a dispute with the audience after an interjector claimed that the Government had stolen from the Labour Party a proposal to confiscate motor-cycles from bands of troublemakers. He said that he had had before his department for at least a month a proposal to amend the law to give the courts power to confiscate motor-cycles. Gang offences Sir Roy Jack saw room for an increase of penalties for offences committed in gangs and for a greater measure of group liability for offences.

He said that the crime rate in New Zealand had increased, but could not attach a reason to it. The increase had coincided with greater freedom and economic security for young people. There was less excuse than ever before in terms of the comfort young people now enjoyed. A possible reason for the crime increase was that it was easier to get away with bad behaviour because young people did not care about their behaviour or their jobs. Record level

Of unemployment Sir Roy Jack said the rate in New Zealand at .47 per cent was lower than in Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom. The general economic situation was very good with overseas reserves running at a record level of $777m.