Taxation ‘must rise’

Press, 4 March 1978, Page 21

Taxation ‘must rise’

PA Wellington 11 Labour must stop makingl unrealistic promises, and;; accept that its policies!' would mean higher taxes, according to the senior vicepresident of the party. (Mr J. A. Walding). In an address to the opening of Labour’s Wellington , regional conference, he said that all those - who needed financial help through no fault of (heir own should get it — but this aid could not be fin-1 anced by taxing the rich [ alone. “Any worth-while increases in welfare services must in large part be financed by increasing the taxload of the ordinary working New Zealander.” he said. “There is no such thing as a free meal ticket in New i Zealand. Someone has to ! pay for it, and those who

believe we can simply print more money, or believe only the "richest "in the community can pay for it, are kidding' themselves. “There is undoubtedly | some scope for the wealthy to accept more responsibility, but a large part of the burden of increases in public expenditure of any magnitude will rest on the ordinary, working taxpayer' — most of whom now say with justification, that personal taxation is too high. “This is a simple economic fact of life. The electorate is conscious of this j fact. If Labour thinks otherwise, it is only fooling it-1 I self.” Mr Walding said Labour must be unashamedly in i support of organisations protecting the rights of the .working man, but this did not mean condoning every industrial action, often taken without the approval of union leaders. Labour must support full

.employment and a decent I] wage., but that did not meanli I giving the “work-shy” a liv[ing at the expense of the[i working man. Labour must enable every t man to buy a home for his I family with a maximum of a 1 fifth of his income going- in interest and principal repay- i ment, but that did not. mean 1 letting people into houses without some effort. t Labour must support maximum personal liberty, but [not tolerate “louts making! [our city streets unsafe.” ! ! “A fellow’s right to swing his fist stops where the other fellow’s nose begins,” said Mr Walding. New Zealanders had to increase production by working together, and that meant giving more responsibilities to unions. “I believe there is plenty of scope for worker participation at a national level —

in planning councils, pro- ’ ducer boards, and Government corporations,” he said. ;! “There will always be I differences in a free society ' on the allocation of the ' goods and services produced. • But those differences must not be allowed to diminish i the resources available for ' distribution. i ■ “Politically contrived con- ■! frontations, that are sapping ' the juice of progress, must ■ cease. It might be good election tactics, but it is an ex- • pense the country can ill - afford at. the present time. q “We are a nation of only -Three million people, in a ■ I pretty unsympathetic world ■ — a’ world that does not; Howe us a living. We have to j 11 earn our own living stan-> ildards, and that requires thei :ination working as a team,”! ijhe said. / Mr Walding also restated phis support for the lead-, f ership of Mr Rowling. ! Too many Labour people! Thad “swallowed skilled Tory}

[propaganda” about Mr Row-! I ling, he said. The same tactics had been used against other Labour leaders such as Savage, Fraser, Nash and Kirk, hut these men had al) proved to be “outstanding leaders.” “The plain fact is that Bill Rowling is by far the best [leader the New Zealand electorate has available today,” said Mr Walding.