Speaking to candidates

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33069, 9 November 1972, Page 5

Speaking to candidates

(Ken Coates)

NELSON

With five candidates standing for office, interest in the election campaign in Nelson is at a high level. The sitting Labour member, Mr S. A. Whitehead, is being opposed by a young businessman and mariner, Mr I. D. McWhannell, National candidate. Mr Whitehead’s majority last election, when he stood against Mr R. A. McLennan, now Mayor, was 1248. The leader of the New Democrat Party, Mr J. B. O’Brien, is also standing for Nelson. His opposition will include a Values Party candidate, Mr A. M. Stanton. a schoolteacher, and a Social Credit candidate, Mr A. H. Mahan.

Mr Stan Whitehead, who has been a member of Parliament since 1957, is 65, but declares he is as fit as ever and looking forward to exciting times as a minister in a Labour Cabinet. “I played senior football at 38, and hard work in the bush and outdoors, sawmilling and contracting, has given me a strong constitution,” he says. “I remember telling one of my first country audiences that I chopped a 12in log in 19 seconds— I was immediately accepted as one of them.”

To the impartial observer Mr Whitehead does not look his age. He looks like the brother of Labour headquarters worker in Nelson, Mrs L. J. Walton, who is 43, and his daughter.

He says candidly he is standing again because he is interested in the job and 17 years on the Harbour Board and other close associations with local government give him valuable insights into the needs of Nelson. Asked what he had achieved in the last three years, Mr Whitehead said he had kept all local issues before the Government.

“At present there is $6 million worth of building projects, excluding the new Rutherford Hotel, under way or ready to go to tender,” he says. As to Nelson’s greatest need, he sees this as a plan of regional development integrated with regional government comprised of commerce, employers and local bodies. Once Nelson was established as a regional development area, under Labour it would become eligible for a 75 per cent concession for the transport of finished goods to markets. “There is a great desire in this district for people to get together and local bodies have indicated this desire,” says Mr Whitehead. One area of development that would benefit would be provision of adequate water supplies which in turn would be of advantage to agriculture and horticulture. KEEPING IN TOUCH

Mr Whitehead says he has always regarded it as important to keep in touch with people.

“This is one of the reasons why I have retained my membership of the Nelson College Board and other local organisations,” he says. “I have been a member of the Trades Council for 20 years — this grass roots association provides a valuable contact.” Asked what he hopes to achieve in the future, Mr Whitehead says this depends on which government is in power. “As a Minister it could be quite exciting.” He says he has been chairman of the caucus committee on local government for three years and while understandably reticent on expectations of a portfolio in a Labour Cabinet, confirms that he has also heard suggestions of a post as Speaker. With a Labour Government, Mr Whitehead says, there could be developments to the distinct advantage of Nelson. “There is still plenty of room for expansion and for industry that will fit in with the environment. There is room, for example, for greater processing of timber, and I am still unhappy about logs being shipped away. “The production of pulp and paper is also being pushed too far into the future,” he adds. “I was horrified to learn that we have imported paper from Japan for our schools and that the paper mill at Mataura was not even shown a sample beforehand. I learn that the mill could have adapted to manufacture of the type of paper required. This sort

of thing is just damned silly.”

Mr Whitehead, deputy chairman of the Harbour Board and longest serving member, looks on efficient sea transport from Nelson as an important factor. Roll-on, roll-off facilities are a must for the transTasman and other trade, and with the co-operation of other ports such as Onehunga he looks forward to a bright future for coastal shipping in New Zealand, provided the right facilities are installed. As to why people should vote for him, Mr Whitehead maintains his party’s policy is directed at the welfare of people. “The policy, particularly in its relation to the use of credit, favours the working man who has been hard hit with extra costs,” he adds.

Mr Alan Stanton, aged 27, who has a bachelor of commerce degree and teaches commerce at Nayland College, formerly worked in the Reserve Bank but says he finds more job satisfaction in teaching. He says he was basically attracted to the Values Party because it offers something quite different, and its emphasis is not just on economic growth. “Progress is not equated with economic and population growth as it is by other political parties,” he adds.

Married with two small children, Mr Stanton lives at Stoke and talks of the importance of controlling technology and economic growth. He sees as basic to his party’s policy control of population growth with the ultimate aim of “zero growth.” “We feel people want to control population growth, as half the number of births are unplanned,” Mr Stanton maintains. He contends that with so much pressure on the environment, worse damage is done to it by the pressures of urban growth which is brought about by expanding population.

“We would like to see sex education plans for schools and contraceptive advice for families.”

Asked to explain how he sees a population problem in a country with barely three million people, Mr Stanton points out that New Zealand has a relatively small land area, and the urban drift is rapid.

“It is not what the number of people is, but the numbers in relation to the environment. And there are considerable pressures in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.” Asked what sort of action he would favour if population control was achieved, Mr Stanton .says economic growth would be reduced only to cater for the needs of the population. This would involve a massive improvement programme in industry to provide for job satisfaction. Questioned on what the party envisages, say for freezing works jobs, Mr Stanton said it would try to re-organise work to give as wide a variety of jobs as possible, and even to eliminate by automation work that was extremely unpleasant and repetitive. Mr Stanton says the party is only newly formed in Nelson, but it hopes to get the support of both young people and older age groups. It stands for quality of life and a sense of community rather than emphasis 'on strong individualistic action at the expense of others and the environment.

Mr lan McWhannell, 39-year-old, Edinburgh - bom National candidate for Nelson, has a vastly different background from his main political opponent. His father was in the Navy during the Second World War and lan went to George Watson’s College in Edinburgh which, he proudly points out, has

produced some famous politicians. He gained his first mate’s and foreign-going master’s certificate and went to sea. calling at New Zealand when in the Navy. lan McWhannell already knew quite a deal about this country even before this—during the war his family extended hospitality to New Zealand servicemen at their big house in Scotland. “My Mother was keenly interested in New Zealand and had quite an extensive greenstone collection,” he recalls. “We used to specify only New Zealand soldiers and had many visit including some fine characters from the Maori Battalion.”

Fifteen years ago he arrived in this country because he had liked the look of it. and had next to nothing. His lucky break, as he terms it, came in becoming assistant to a meat company director in Christchurch and being associated with the development of a new export of by-products for pet food.

He lived at Governor’s Bay and an early interest in politics was followed up when he became chairman and secretary of the Lyttelton branch of the National Party.

PROUD OF HERITAGE lan McWhannell is a man proud of his Scottish heritage and describes how the family is of the Clan MacDonald. His wife, incidentally, was a Miss McWhannell, born in New Zealand. He has made his mark in the business world of Nelson. He has an orchard, breeds Hereford cattle, does marine work for insurance companies, is an importer, exports fish and has an interest in a processing plant.

“I am a doer rather than a speaker, and recently I have had to learn fast to speak in public,” he says.

What made lan McWhannell seek National Party nomination, competition for which in Nelson is keen? He describes how, as relieving mate on the Karepo during a trip to Australia and return, he was amazed at the disruption caused by a badlyled trade union. There were something like J 7 unwarranted stoppages in 13 days. No concern was shown for the shipper and the last thing the union was concerned about was New Zealand. This was a month before Mr Marshall deregistered the Seamen’s Union, a move which was wholeheartedly supported by Mr McWhannell. “When trade unions cease to show any concern for New Zealand whatsoever, then strong action is imperative,” he says.

He adds that he felt in a position, having the time available and having dealt with men all his life, to seek an opportunity to work with strong government and play his part.

lan McWhannell describes himself as a liberal man, flexible enough to admit he is wrong when this is so. “1 have found in life 1 have had to change my views several times,” he says. “I am also representative of the average man, have a mortgage, a family and am faced with rising rates like every New Zealander.”

He is taking his bid for Parliament very seriously indeed, is doing a great deal of door knocking, and says that the days of the oldtime politician are over.

“It is a young politician's world — the job is demanding and complex, and requires long hours." He also says it is a team job and requires a wife who is understanding and supportive.

His view of the Springbok tour, incidentally, is that the team should come, but he sees grounds for protest. While he opposes the policy of apartheid he points out that change must inevitably be gradual, and world opinion will play its part.

Mr John O’Brien, Social Democrat leader, former farmer of Shannon, now has an attractive two-storey house in a hill suburb of Nelson. Aged 47, and father of six children, he sold his farm and says he is a professional politician, full-time. He also considers he has done well in establishing a party in a relatively short time and putting up 87 candidates, even if some are not particularly interested in campaigning for votes. John O’Brien maintains that if he and his party can mount the election campaign they plan, they will channel sufficient votes from

people who want an alternative to the main parties to get some men into Parlia ment. Just how many and from where he is not pre pared to speculate on.

As to candidates who appear to be little more than names on a ballot paper, he says all are serving the party by offering them selves, “it is a big compliment to democracy, and the obligation is not all on them: we thank God there are these men of sufficient courage so that people have an opportunity to vote for people with a set of principles.”

As for the Social Credit League, of which he was leader, before the split, Mr O’Brien says he is surprised it has hot disappeared before now. “The injection of massive housie funds into advertising gives it the appearance of staying alive,” he adds. As to the main message of his party, John O'Brien talks about it being the champion of the family unit Monetarj reform on its own, he says, is unreal. Money is not everything, and the highest suicide rate is among the wealthy.

But he argues that the family is being "crucified” in New’ Zealand through economic pressures which force women out to work. An improved financial system, with relief for the family man, would, he says, release this pressure and one breadwinner would earn sufficient. Women could stay home “becoming more involved in the arts, education and the family.”

Mr O’Brien adds: "We are not setting out on any funny money policy; all extra payments will come from a reduction in Government spending." He also talks of “monetising the difference between the value of goods produced and the income generated in the course of production.” Questioned on statements by party members at variance with policy, he says that he does not see any conflict. As he sees it, a party member is free to express his own opinion, but he should not commit the party to something that was not party policy. As to his political future, John O’Brien says: “You don’t bury an ideal, especially when it involves social justice for the family unit.” He acknowledges that Mr Kirk has emphasised this lately, but maintains that the Labour Parly has not the policy to carry it out.

Like most ardent believers in monetary reform, the Social Credit candidate, Mr A. H. Mahan, is willing to talk of the benefits he considers it would bring for as long as anyone is prepared to listen.

Semi-retired — he teaches at the Technical College in the winter and goes fishing in the summer—he went to Nelson from Dunedin in 1947. He was a candidate in the 1960 election, but this is only his second campaign. Mr Mahan has no time for the New Democrats. “We were left in an awkward position with a severe shortage of funds, but through the efforts of a small committee are now on our feet and ready for the campaign,” he says. He says that after the televised address of the leader, Mr Beetham, he received calls from all over his electorate, and from people in Tasman, expressing commendation. “Our monetary system is not keeping up with modem development,” says Mr Mahan. “If it did, we would not be $3 billion in debt today.”

He says he is standing for Social Credit because at one stage it was planned to have a candidate from outside the electorate. "But my old Army training prompted me not to ask some-one to do something I was not prepared to do myself,” he adds.

His age. he contends, is his own business. He criticises the main political parties by saying that they both make promises in their policies which are incapable of being carried out because they inevitably find in 12 months that the money is not there.

“The people are then back where they were, and find promises cannot be fulfilled,” he adds.

One thing on which Mr Mahan feels strongly is violence, and he makes no bones about favouring a strong-armed approach tn law breakers. “Something of what we used to be dealt out with at Waitaki Boys’ High School would be in order. 1 would like to see them lined up outside Wright Stephenson’s every Saturday morning, and then perhaps we would get somewhere."