"Kiwis resist change’’

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 33

"Kiwis resist change’’

ROSS WINSKILL is 26.1 married, and a reinforcing- 1 steel detailer. He recently! spent nearly four years ini London, and was surprised to 1 find New Zealand virtually unchanged when he returned. “Life does not appear to have progressed any,” he said. "I've heard a lot of people say that you can be away for four years and guarantee that the place will be 'USt the same when you get back. “The people don’t seem to want change. It is a very conservative outlook here, as) can be seen from the length; of time the National Party! has been in office in the last! 20 years. It’s every man for) himself here — that’s what] stops change. People are very) individualistic — they want to look after themselves be-! fore others.

“If a person can conceivably go into business for him- ) self here, he will try it. If )he goes bust, well 0.K., but )he’s got to see how it goes i just the same.” | Ross Winskill likes the ! easygoing way of life in New (Zealand after the pressures : of life in London. “If you’re in the city, you’re only 20 minutes from a park or the 1 open country, and you’re I within easy reach of skiing. There’s no restriction on outdoor life, and there’s every opportunity to play sport.” He also likes the attitude of New Zealanders to each other. “The average New Zealander is very helpful and friendly,” he said. “People tend to stick together more than they would overseas, perhaps because there are not

so many different peoples. It’s not a melting pot like London, where different races tend to stick together. Here they all muck in if there's anything to do. Neighbours are generally helpful to one another.” : • One of the things he does not like about New Zealand !) is its censorship laws. “I (don’t like any form of cen- ( sorship," he said. “Patricia Bartlett speaks for only a ,i small minority. The majority I is never heard in New Zea.(land.” He also thinks the taxation system should be restructured. He would like to see low interest mortgage money made available to every young couple wanting to finance their first house. He feels that low-income families are taxed more than they i should be. and that the mini- ) mum level lor income tax ■ should be lifted considerably. He does not like the b:g i hotel bars. “They’ve gone I [overboard for the big booze | bams here.” he said “We |l should have small pubs like I Britain. Booze barns ruin I social drinking." I Ross Winskill is coping | with inflation, but saving to I build his own house means that he is not well off financially. “If I was not inJvolved in mortgages and sc .ion, I would be quite able tc f manage on what I’m earntjing,” he said. But he thinks s) skills should be recognisec in a monetary way. “A 10l ;of people I know are leaving i/lfor Australia,” he said, “be s | cause they are not getting e) enough for what they do j I That’s where we re away be»l hind.”