“Nation divided’ by union ballots

Press, 31 July 1978, Page 6

“Nation divided’ by union ballots

PA Wellington A warning that balloting unions might result in a divided nation was given at the National Party confer ence vesterdav.

The call made after the announcement of the big. Clerical Workers’ Union poll,' came from Mr W, Irvine of; .Mt Roskill, who described' himself as an employer and former union organiser. New Zealand was entering a dangerous situation, where the National Partv stood for j employers and the Labour Party for the employees, he> There was a lot of ignor-; ance about the trade union 1 movement. But one of the ‘ mightiest" unions was the legal profession — and it was a closed shop. “You try setting yourself j up as a lawyer without being j a member of the Bar," he said. The average trade unionist - belonged to a union, for protection against an “unscrup-l ulous boss,” but many union I members also belonged to the 1 National Party. New Zealand had to move

into the 1980 s as a united country. “We can’t afford a split in the country,” said Mr Irvine. A decision was made supporting moves toward fewer tnd stronger trade unions and emphasising a need for better channels of communication between the “shop floor” and management. An increasing proportion of New Zealanders are beginning to doubt that the law is either fair or effective, according to the member for Wairarapa (Mr M. B. Couch). He told a conference discussion group that the only strength a system of law could command was the united support of the people it served. This support would last only as long as the average person believed that the rule of law was a good thing, and doing the work it was designed to do. ‘I suggest — and I shall be criticised for saying so —

, that an increasing proportion of our population is beginI ning to doubt that our laws, as they are applied, are either ' fair or effective." said Mr Couch. People working with the ’ law often tended to move in , restricted circles, with others ‘either trained in the law or 'affected by it. “Those outside this com- ; munity must rely on what little understandable news comes from it — just the results, seldom clear reasons," he said. “This is a dangerous situa- | tion.” A call to reduce the role of the State in New Zealand was supported virtually without dissent at the conference. An Auckland Young Nationals remit said the size of the public sector was now such that when any growth occurred in the economy very little was left to be channelled into the private sector, on which the country relied for incerased production.

“Bureaucratic inertia” was all too prevalent in Government departments. The National candidate for Onehunga (Mr J. B. S. Hutchinson) declared there were too many “drivelling dribblepusses and gibbering geraniums" in the Public Service.

Young Nationals meeting also in Wellington yesterday voted for the repeal of the 1977 abortion legislation, and called on Parliament urgently to enact legislation making abortion available to all women on the recommendation of their doctors.

Counselling services should be available before and after the operation, they said. The decision was taken by a clear majority, on a show of hands.

Three remits calling for repeal of the abortion legislation, provision of Aotea Clinic type services for all women, and the holding of a referendum on the abortion issue will be the last item on the National Party conference agenda today.

However, the party’s Dominion executive has decided that delegates should vote in a secret ballot first whether to discuss the matter at all.