P.M. opens election year ‘road show’

Press, 15 June 1978, Page 6

P.M. opens election year ‘road show’

Pz_ Blenheim The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) said last evening that he had stopped “a lot of flack” over New Zealand’s relations with other countries, but he believed his stance in the internatiohal scene had paid off. "It is a hard, tough world when it come to international bargaining,” he told a crowd of about 1300 in Blenheim. "The country that keeps quiet gets ignored. New 7 Zealand has not kept quiet and I make no apology for it.” Mr Muldoon, who was opening his election-year "road show” series of public meetings, was given an enthusiastic reception by the crowd, buddled in overcoats in near-freezing temperatures.

Relations with Australia had never been better, and New Zealand now had closer relations with the United States, which knew more about the South Pacific because he had been a “bit outspoken,” Mr Muldoon said. This had done more for New Zealand than the “do nothing, keep your head down” policy of the Labour Government. Mr. Muldoon said that the

i Japanese Government had (been thinking about its relations with New Zealand, and I how it eould get “some sort !of arrangement” so that it could get its quota of fish in New Zealand waters. Mr Muldoon said he believed the E.E.C.’s move to introduce sheepmeat regulations could be stopped. “We are going to fight to stop it,” he said. Mr Muldoon’s 90-minute address ranged from foreign affairs to taxation and the Federation of Labour. He listed what he thought were going to be this year’s election issues. Married superannuitants with no other income looked as though they would get about $9l to $93 a week after tax, from August, and a single superannuitant would get about $54 to $56 a week. Superannuation was all coming out of tax although the Labour Party had said this could not be done, Mr Muldoon said. He thought there should be penalties in industrial law. Freezing workers were now talking because of the clause in National’s Commerce Act, which took them into the Arbitration Court last week, he said. “This was the first trial

of the Commerce Act and it worked.” Ballots on voluntary unionism would be another issue. “They will come in one by one,” Mr Muldoon said. On unemployment, he said: “I think unemployment is going to be an issue at election time. We are prepared to argue that.” On capital gains tax, Mr Muldoon said that Mr Rowling and his deputy, Mr Tizard, had said they were against it, but the Labour Conference had voted for it. “Suppose there is a Labour Government next year, we will get it allright,”' Mr Muldoon said. On sports contacts, Mr Muldoon said that the National Government would leave decisions to sports bodies, but under Labour, the Government would make the decision: “You cannot trust them on this issue,” he said. Mr Muldoon was listing l | election issues when a man,' jcalled out: “Are you going: to vote for repeal of the. [abortion laws?” There were some jeers and' an elderly man shouted: “Lay: off that.” Mr Muldoon told:' the abortion interjector: “You: be thankful you’re herej mate.”