N.Z. ‘the way we deserve if

Press, 26 July 1978, Page 3

N.Z. ‘the way we deserve if

“I believe that if all New Zealanders accepted their responsibility to work for the good of the community, we could have New Zealand the way we want it, rather than what we are getting — New Zealand the way we deserve it,” the Dominion president of Federated Fanners (Mr A. F. Wright) told the annual conference of the federation.

He recalled that the National Party, when voted into power three years ago, had offered “New Zealand the way you want it.” One could question whether this goal had been achieved, he said. But if the Government had failed it could not be completely blamed for the result “Too many sections of the com-

munity have decided, for their own selfish needs, to make excessive demands on the economy. “This had been particularly evident in recent wage negotiations,” said Mr Wright.

It was perhaps time that New Zealand followed the lead of some European countries where wage increases were based on the ability of the exporting industries to pay, he said. The labour component of inflation was high and if the European example were followed this would mean that pay scales would first be negotiated in the export industries, with the wage negotiations in other industries then being based in the main on the results of these awards.