Labour call for united voice

Press, 9 December 1976, Page 2

Labour call for united voice

PA Wellington The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) said yesterday that he would like to see all political parties opposed to the Government united under a Labour banner.

It was hypothetical to ask what concessions Labour would be prepared to make to other parties, but there had been feedback front electorates indicating that people wanted to talk about: a united front against the Government, he told an informal press conference in Parliament Buildings. Labour was much closer 1 to the Values Party and to Social Credit than was the National Party, he said. Mr Rowling said that poh- [ tics in New Zealand was likely to continue to pro-' mote a two-party structure, with a reasonably concerted opposition to the Govern-' ment. He could foresee no radical restructuring of political forces, except a greater degree of cohesion among political elements. This year’s Parliamentary session had been the worst since he entered the House

— - | t in 1962. he said. Parliament! had fallen to a new low in I -fthe estimation of the public,!; 1 and all members should take i this seriously, s The recently-published] t poll on the standing of poli-i • tical leaders represented this' public feeling.

However, people such as, the Social Credit leader . Bruce Beetham) and the'i . Government back bencher,!! ( Mr M. J. Minogue (Hamilton's West) had done well. The House had been badly!) I run this year, with bills i i being rushed through all it their stages in one night; ij witnesses wanting to appear [before select committees hadii not been heard; urgency had' 1 ) been taken one week, and i ‘ the next Parliament had not)’ enough to do. J Mr Rowling said that Parliament’s Standing Orders i "Committee should meet ■ : early next year to hear sub- i 1 missions from the public on ■ "how best to improve Parlia- i ' inent’s performance. j He said that the Govern-', ment should appoint a < ! Leader of the House, as the I Prime Minister (Mr Mul-lc doon) had proved that he it : could not carry out the task! ‘properly. " . |s