MR C. C.A. McLACHLAN ‘Priorities farming and inflation’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33987, 30 October 1975, Page 12

MR C. C.A. McLACHLAN ‘Priorities farming and inflation’

The Labour Party has got its priorities all wrong It has been big hearted, but has made the mistake of thinking the financial resources of the country were endless, says the National member Rakaia. Colin McLachlan.

Mr McLachlan s majority dropped by 500 in the last election but that, he says, reflected a nationwide swing to Labour. Polls had forecast a move to National this year and he expects Rakaia to record a representative, vote.

Labour party members he says acknowledge that they had been pushed so fast that the economy

could not keep up They seemed to think that all they had to do was say: "Right, we ll do it”. They were not able to subordinate their ideas for a quick case to the longterm good of the country. Mr Muldoon, on the

contrary. knew how to manage the economy. He had an undisputed gift as an economist, but even he could not. “bring the country right” in 1976. "I think we’re going to slip for a little bit longer We have not quite reached the dip yet.” The priorities were production in the farming sector and a halt to inflation, mainly by a check on militant unionism. The draw-off of money by the Labour Party had depleted the investment capital that should have gone into farming. This meant farmers were going

"to feel it" this year, and the year after, Mr McLachlan says The Government had only to he firm with the Federation of Labour, for the F.O.L. would not be foolish enough to seek an open confrontation with the Government through inordinate demands for workers.

The average Kiwi was a reasonable person. He became incensed if real injustice was done, but he

did not want the kind of nonsense that held up ferry services while members of crews bickered about their taking wives with them. "Let the matter be con sidered by a tribunal, let them sort it out, but for goodness sake don’t hold up inter-island transport while you do it,” Mr McLachlan says. “It adds to the burden of debt and

means we are not using our resources to the full.” The inefficiency of transport in New Zealand was one of the reasons why the economy was not earning to capacity.

“We get the stupid situation where a Fairfield farmer wants to cart fertiliser from Kempthorne Prosser to his farm,” says Mr McLachlan.

“He is prevented by law from carting it by road because of the maximum 40-miie restriction on road cartage, so that it has to travel by rail and then by road. Twice the handling is involved, the cost is increased to the farmer, and the truck probably goes back empty to Ashburton.

“The first thing I would do as a Government member would be to raise the 40-mile restiriction to 120 miles, and phase it in with an environmental impact report to guide me.

“I would also reintroduce coastal shipping. The Government’s subsidy on the railways has kept rail travel so cheap that

the railways are congested and are costing the tax payer s7om this year In the process, the railwaysubsidy has ruined coastal shipping. "Most of these boats are now tied up somewhere, or sold, but it is a fact that some goods travel by water cheaper than they do any other way. “Now we are talking about shipping increased wheat production to the north- and we have not got the boats to do it. This is the sort of mess our transport system is in.”

If he had the transport portfolio, Mr McLachlan says, he would set up a body to advise the Government on which commodities could be handled most efficiently and in which manner — by air, sea, road or rail, Mr McLachlan says that he opposes Rolleston. It was absorbing millions of dollars that might be developing already existing townships in the area and still be catering for Christchurch’s population, excess.