Farmers to reject “election bribes”

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33959, 27 September 1975, Page 20

Farmers to reject “election bribes”

> Federated Farmers ; plans to take an active part in the campaign preceding this year’s 1 General Election. ■ “Traditionally, Federated > Farmers has sat quietly on . the sideline at election time,” says the Dominion

■ president of the federation,] ■ Mr J. T. Kneebone. “Farmers’ votes have been lost in the morass of the electorate. We can no longer afford to waste our diminishing voting strength. Our votes may not be large in number, but they can be made significant. “We do not seek, in fact

we must reject, any election bribes that may be offered as hand-outs to our industry. ORGANISED ATTENDANCE

“We intend to organise on a provincial basis attendance at political meetings of all parties, to question all candidates on their economic policy for New Zealand and in particular for agriculture. “New Zealand appears to have no viable economic strategy.

“We are simply adrift and not prepared, to date, to face up to economic reality. If this election follows the pattern of its predecessors, we will have parties out-bid-ding the other’s bribes and hand-outs, and never a word on how these are to be financed from our export-based economy.

“Full employment can only be sustained if we can export at a profit. We can do this only if all links in the export chain are competitive. SIMPLE SOLUTION

“The solution to our problems is quite simple. We do not need any new ideas, gimmicks, systems or orders. We simply, as a nation, have to get down to work and realise that the European Economic Community, the United States, Japan, Australia or the Middle East countries will make economic decisions to suit themselves — not us.

“The farming community has accepted financial discipline, but will continue to be the losers unless similar discipline is applied to the total economy. I sincerely hope that other New Zealanders follow our lead, attend political meetings, seek out politicians, and demand an economic policy for New Zealand. “We must aim at a minimum of a five-year strategy, for no business, be it a farm or a factory, can do anything worthwhile in a lesser period . . .” said Mr Kneebone.