Economist hits back at P.M.

Press, 26 May 1977, Page 2

Economist hits back at P.M.

PA Hamilton I A former Waikato economist yesterday hit back at the advice of the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) to academic economists to teach “long-suffering students” instead of “confusing” the public. Professor Allan Catt said: "Academic economists are in a better position than most people to speak out about economics because they are independent. “Unlike public servants we have every right to speak out about economics,” he said. “It is our responsibility to do so.' Dr Catt, who is due to start the new term as a professor of economics at Auckland University, said that the economists who were speaking out about economics were people with long backgrounds in applied economics. Comments on the New Zealand economy would lose all impartiality if they did

'not speak out on economic matters. Professor Catt said that it was important that academic economists speak out because people in the Government could not. “If we did not, there would be a lot of tirades from pressure groups with an axe to grind,” ht said. This would confuse the public even more, as vested interests would put forward their own points of view.