National split on bid to stop ‘open slather’ land purchases

Press, 29 July 1978, Page 1

National split on bid to stop ‘open slather’ land purchases

The Land Purchase Bill—aimed at stopping undue aggregation of land—is splitting both the National Party and the farming community.

Delegates to the National Party conference yesterday gave the Government a rebuff when they voted to reject a remit calling for the bill, now befo-e Parliament, to be passed without delay. The National Party is not the only interest groups divided by the bill— the Young Farmers’ Club and the Farm Workers’ Association are for it; Federated Farmers strongly opposes it.

In a somewhat surprising decision last evening, delegates at the National Party conference threw out the Hawke’s ? iy remit that the bill be passed in its present form without delay. The bill, sponsored by the Minister of Lands (Mr V. S. Young) was recently returned to Parliament by the Lands committee in an amended form, and still waits its second reading. Speakers at le conference expressed themselves strongly against Government interventi n. These

speakers included National candidates for two marginal seats. The attack was led by the candidate for Tasman (Ruth Rkhardson). The decision was taken on voices.

It could not be established last evenin'’ what the Government would do with the bill reports Cedric Mentiplay. One Cabinet source expressed the private opinion to him that perhaps the best course would be for Parliament to send the bill back for further study — “Loping it does not return before the General Election.” The conference vote is not expected to stop the Government from going ahead with the bill, reports the Press Association. Mr L. H. Smith (Hawke’s Bay), moving th- remit at the conference, said that a particular clause in present legislation designed to cater for public companies provided the meat.s whereby the act’s land aggregation provisions could be circumvented. “The prin ary function of the bill will be to close this loophole, and to restore a moderate degree of control where there is effectively none today,” he said.

“The effects of the present open slather are entirely damaging to the foundations of the farming industry, and further aggravated by high inflation as people realise that

the safest haven for capital is land.” Ruth Richardson who is also a legal adviser to Federated Fa.mers, described the remit as incompatible with National Party philosophy. It did not guarantee land settlement opportunities .-nd simply put farmers through “bureaucratic hoops,” she said. Mr Geoffrey Thompson, candidate for Horowhenua, and both a lawyer and farmer, said attempts to control aggregation since 1952 had not worked. Describing the legislation as a “legal administrative nuisance,” he said further legislation was unnecessary. A national vice-president of the Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (Mr B. P. Duncan) said last evening that his organisation and the Farm Workers’ Association had joined in sending a telegram to the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) “strongly requesting” the Government to proceed

with the bill. Earlier in the week the Dominion conference of Federated Farmers came out strongly against the bill.