‘Stultifying’ controls

Press, 17 August 1978, Page 2

‘Stultifying’ controls

PA Wellington The Meat Board apposes delicensing of the export meat processing industry, but wants the law changed to enable new licences to be issued more readily.

The present legislation was described as “stultifying” by Mr Hilgendorf. “It would be quite unrealistic and impracticable to allow open slather in an industry whose efficiency is of such vital economic importance, not only to producers but to the whole country,” he said. But there was no doubt that a growing body, both | within and without the industry, saw the need for ( structural changes — ( encouraged by appropriate changes in the law. “High hopes were held i that the Meat Industry Authority, as a new body, might use its powers to bring about the necessary changes. But lately it has become apparent that, at least among some sections of producers, these earlier hopes have given way to disillusionment and frustration,” he said. “There have been demands that either the authority’s terms of reference be broadened or, alternatively, that the industry be delicensed and everyone allowed a fair go-

In the board’s view, neither of these approaches comes within reach of solving a basic problem facing not only the meat industry

but New Zealand society as a whole,” he said.

The “basic problem” was that structural changes for the betterment of the processing industry were being stultified by legislation based on the philosophy that the status quo was best, and anyone wanting to do anything different had first to prove that his proposals were better. “This means that the ens trenched and established can sleep comfortably in their beds at night knowing that the dice are loaded in their favour. Their privileged positions are protected and maintained by existing law, which requires only that they should be able to cast sufficient doubts on the claims and proposals of would-be competitors,” said Mr Hilgendorf. “What I am suggesting is that current legislation governing the establishment of new export meat processing facilities — like much of the legislation affecting other aspects of life in New Zealand — is based on the wrong premise. It negates the fundamental principle that a man should be able to do his own thing unless there are very good reasons why he should not.”