Students hear Mr Rowling

Press, 22 April 1977, Page 3

Students hear Mr Rowling

Morality and expediency were the two words which •oiled most off the tongue of .the Leader of the Opposition Mr Rowling) when he rraigned the Prime Minister Mr Muldoon) and his Gov--rnment at a jammed stutent venue in Christchurch esterday. He was addressing Univerity of Canterbury students t the invitation of the stuents’ branch of the Labour irty. He said that the Govem,ent and Mr Muldoon were; ■oing many immoral things' or political ends, like about- f aces on policy on sporting; ontacts with South Africa nd disclaimers that the! ational Party “manifesto” j as in fact a manifesto. i Mr Muldoon had done tre-! lendous damage to New; Zealand’s international mage through diplomatic tupidity, round-arm swings t international leaders, and -mbivalent attitudes on ractl sport that had made 30 lations withdraw from the lontreal Olympics. New .ealand’s attitude promised > be a major issue at the eads of Commonwealth inference. The Government was still it “coming clear.” All the ■ublic could assume was hat the Government had ■hanged ground on sporting ■ontacts — where it had once said that it would welcome the Springbok team, even in the face of violence

and civil strikes, and give: the All Blacks a parliamentary reception, it was now saying that it would not condone sporting contacts with racially-selected teams. The Prime Minister himself had intervened to stop the South African visit of a Palmerston North Boys’ High School team. “But no leader — and the National Party haven’t got many — is prepared to say the Government has changed its stance — it’s still double talk,” said Mr Rowling. “It’s going to take the .Labour Government years to I mend . . .” He was drowned by hisses, cheers, and darts.; I “It’s always healthy to have ! a vocal minority,” he said.

! He said that the Govern;ment tolerated the Welfare (State only because it was politically expedient to do so. Whenever it felt like saving a buck or two, it “chipped away at the system.”

Domestic purposes beneficiaries and “dole bludgers” had been the recipients so far. The prescription charge that had almost been imposed was nothing more than a tax on the sick. The national superannuation scheme should be next in line for attention. It made no distinction between the aged beneficiary who wanted more money for an overseas trip and the one who wanted it for bread and butter.

“One thing the Labour

i Party will not do,” Mr RowI ling said amidst cheers, “is I take money off pensioners and give it to people with annual incomes of more than $20,000 — like some members of Cabinet.” He said that the Government made emotional charges about “dole bludgers” — young unemployed living at beaches on benefits — but never substantiated them. One student asked that if students were as important as the unemployed, would a ! Labour Government consider (granting students as much !in the tertiary bursary as unemployment beneficiaries I received.

“I would have thought there was more provided in the university context,” Mr Rowling said, “than the opportunity to be idle.” The theatre burst into cheers. Mr Rowling said that one of his punches was his scheme — which h<- hoped would be “universal" — to break the pre-school-to-uni-versity stretch with a year of community work. This would be a broadening experience for those who wanted to continue with higher education. The State would have to provide a modest salary. Interjector: Where are you going to get the money from? The dole bludgers? Who are we going to work for? The State?

Mr Rowling: I don’t doubt the National Government needs help.