South well represented in new Cabinet

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33095, 9 December 1972, Page 16

South well represented in new Cabinet

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, December 8.

With a South Island Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Associate Minister of Finance, and Ministers of Police, Customs, Housing, Transport, Tourism, Railways, Electricity, and Civil Defence, the members of the new Cabinet are strenuously resist* ing suggestions that there has been a South Island take-over of the reins of Government.

The Minister of Police and Customs and Associate Minister of Finance (Mr Connelly) said that his police portfolio was a special challenge. He knew he had a superblyefficient department, and that the New Zealand policeman had a special talent for lawenforcement. “I shall be discussing with the Commissioner of Police (Mr W. H. A. Sharp) what the main problems are,” Mr Connelly said. “It will be my task as Minister of Police to see that the manpower and the resources to do the job are available.” He sees the customs portfolio as a dual role. Firstly, there is the drug traffic. “I will endeavour to link the police and customs role to attack this insidious trade. Apart from this, I regard cus-

toms as a portfolio which can help New Zealand industry.” The Minister of Railways, Electricity and Civil Defence (Mr McGuigan) said he was moving as quickly as possible in all three portfolios. Mr McGuigan has informed the general manager of the Railways Department that the possible closing of branch lines on monetary grounds must be reconsidered against the background of economic need. “I will not be moving into a ministerial house in Wellington,” he said today. “My roots are in Lyttelton, and my home is in Christchurch. I shall be a commuter, as ever.” STATE HOUSES The new Minister of Housing (Mr Fraser) said that he was already moving to get State houses built. This promise was conditioned by the number of

building teams available to do the job, and by the number of service sections provided by the National Government, he said. “I want to know from the’ Housing Division just what land is available,” he said. “When we have those answers, houses will be begun immediately. But I feel that, with the rundown in housing sections available in the last few years, we might not be able to build as many as we hope.” Mr Fraser foresees early discussions with the Minister in Charge of the State Advances Corporation (Mr Tizard) on money for housing. “If insufficient money is available, you may be sure that Cabinet will hear from me.” AGRICULTURAL POLICY “One of the first things to do next week is to complete the appointment of Government members on the Wool Marketing Corporation,” said the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Moyle) yesterday, reports the Press Association.

The implementation of the Labour policy on marketing which would require immediate research, and priority would be given to ways and means of setting up a rural finance bank, he said. Labour’s irrigation policy, and the establishment of a meat works in central Otago would also need urgent investigation, and there was also a need for a longer-term inquiry into all aspects of meat processing. Mr Moyle said that the Government, in line with its policy, would not permit trout farming. He wanted to look at the conservation aspect of inshore fishing, and would look at box nets, long nets and seine netting.