Remits for ‘old squares’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33858, 2 June 1975, Page 2

Remits for ‘old squares’

f From

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY)

WELLINGTON, June 1. Positive thinking by the younger members of the National Party has been a feature of the Young Nationals' conference which will conclude tomorrow. Delegates have taken literally the words of the Opposition spokesman on transport, Mr J. B. Gordon, who told them: “What you have to do is couch your remits in a form the old squares wi|] accept. This is your conference and your year. Never before has the National Party relied on your activities as much as today.” The youngsters have responded. Remits couched in

'modern phraseology are passing through for submission to the national executive. But F there is a measure of staid Slreponsibility that prevents yl‘he subject-matter from be>.ing too “far out.” < For instance, considerable | ’ discussion arose from a remit II: which developed from the education paper — that ter- ! itiarv students without sup-! •-•porting' jobs of their own ~1 should be paid a subsistence allowance or bursary equal to 'the unemployment benefit. 0 Members argued that this e would be crippling to the sjeconomy as well as unduly s I restrictive. - ‘ Eventually the remit went r I forward — but not without! v I considerable opposition. The: s i impression was gained that : some speakers were warv of -'such commitments because of ! t*their feeling that their party-

would occupy the Treasury benches after November. TV CONTROL The Young Nationals are united on broadcasting reform. Their paper on the subject suggests dismantling the TV2 concept and having one corporation to run both television channels, thus eliminating competition and ensuring the complementary nature of programmes. An amendment reverting to the one-corporation idea was narrowly averted. The recommendations, made by Mr S. Wardell (Wellington) are that the National Party should support the concept of one corporation for television and another for radio; that each corporation should be headed by a director-general and council, the director-general to be re-

'sponsible to the Minister of j Broadcasting; that the teleI vision administration, ■ programming, programme production, etc., should be done by one organisational structure running two national network channels; that the Radio Corporation should be responsible for three radio networks; and that private radio should be allowed tp develop unhindered. ‘EXPENSIVE’ A former National Minister: !of Broadcasting, Mr L. R. . Adams-Schneider, said he enItirely supported the paper. He recommended "positive thinking” on the twocorporation idea. The present structure would be extremely expensive, he said. It seemed to have thought of most | things, but to have forgotten : the people.