M.P. fears future shock

Press, 27 May 1978, Page 1

M.P. fears future shock

The key question facing Western governments is whether so-called liberal, democratic institutions will survive the big worldwide changes — or whether they will be replaced by authoritarianism, of the Left or the Right — according to the member of Parliament for Hamilton West (Mr M. J. Minogue). Addressing the medical students’ convention in Christchurch yesterday, on “Future trends in New Zealand government,” Mr Minogue described his view as “pessimistic.” “Unless a very real effort is directed to resolving conflict without confrontation, we will

drift into a new form of authoritarianism,” he said. “I have great fears, indeed, whenever I see another step along the road to authoritarianism of some kind. We seem to be taking more and more power to resolve conflict, to seek the easy and quick way.”

Mr Minogue told the students they were living in a “volatile” world, and that to understand the “tension and conflict that abound in New Zealand today” they should think in the “larger perspective” of world-wide changes. Mr Minogue said that expectations that had been stirred and aroused during the affluence of the 1960 s had not died, although the

ability of governments to fulfil those expectations had diminished. Governments now had "regrettably few options” in solving some of the big problems of the day, such as inflation or pollution. Political parties promised “magical things at election times,” but their inability to fulfil these expectations led to disillusionment, he said. Mr Minogue said the news media “did no service” in predicting that the main interest in this year’s General Election would be the conflict between Mr Muldoon and Mr Rowling. Polarisation on personalities was damaging he said. The debate should

concentrate on issues, not personalities. Any debate about ideologies or personalities was becoming “increasingly nonsensical,” said Mr Minogue.

During question time, Dr Jules Older, a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Otago Medical School, told Mr Minogue that “a lot of people take you very seriously as an alternative politician.” Speaking from the floor, Dr Older said: “I am going to give you a message that we would like you to take yourself as seriously as we have been taking you.” Loud applause followed this remark.