What the M.P.s saying 'Poor-mouthing’ of S.I deplored

Press, 21 August 1978, Page 2

What the M.P.s saying 'Poor-mouthing’ of S.I deplored

By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY

The assertion that members of the Opposition, and not the Government, were esponsible for giving the South Island a bad reputal tion was made by Mr D. F. Quigley’ (Nat., Rangiora) i during the discussion of estimates, on Thursday. "We have had illustrations of this from Mr M. A. Connelly (Lab., Wigram) and from Mr W. A. Fraser (Lab., St Kilda) who continually ■poor-mouth' the South Island and misrepresent the facts,” Mr Quigley said.

On Christchurch, he said: “From the beginning of January, 1976, to the end of May 1978, some 390 new factories have opened in Christchurch, and 343 have closed. In the same period the number of new employI ees in Christchurch was 12521 and those who lost employment numbered 2199. , "The member for Wigram i knows those facts, and he should desist from ‘poormouthing’ the South Island as he has been doing." Mr Quigley quoted an article in a Wellington newspaper headed: “Knockers take note,” and stating: “The South is pulling its weight. Knockers of the South Island and particularly of Canterbury overlook the clear advantages as an area from which to export.”

Local charging Mr B. G. Barclay (Lab., Christchurch Central) said that both the member for Invercargill (Mr N. P. H. Jones, Nat.) and the Post-master-General (Mr Wilkinson) were in favour of charging for local telephone calls.

Mr Wilkinson: When did I say that? Mr Barclay: It is unlikely that the Postmaster-General would take to Cabinet a proposal of which he was not in favour.

“During the last two years the Post Office made a profit of $64M,” Mr Barclay said. “Where has that money gone? Perhaps it has paid the unemployment benefit in Invercargill. More than 40 rural post offices have been closed by the Government, and 43 more, many of them in rural communities, have been placed on restricted hours.” Telephone waiting lists had increased — in Beckenham 39 per cent, in New Brighton 57 per cent, in Papanui 26 per cent. Mr Quigley said that dur-: ing 1975-76, under Labour,’ the Post Office had had a loss of $38.7M. This has* been caused by Labour election promises. Telephone waiting lists had in fact decreased 12.8 per cent on the figures for the previous year. The cost of profit Sir Basil Arthur (Lab., Ti-1 maru) said that although

I some people might be gratified at the Post Office profit, most were not happy at having to pay vastly ini creased prices for posting letters. Since National had been in office, airmail postage had increased 140 per cent and telephone rentals 100 per cent. The local-charging idea had been announced with the record profit, w’hen it was said that the Government was examining every known method of charging. Which other systems of charging were being considered, if local call charging : was not? “Members of the Public Expenditure Committee have been told that the cost of introducing a local calls charge would be S3OM, and that is why the Post Office is happy to make a profit of $37.7M,” Sir Basil said. He asked Mr Wilkinson to confirm that the Post Office already had some equipment, and that more was on order, iso that a local call charge ■could be introduced. “The Prime Minister has : said that a local call charge : would not be a bad idea, because it would cost people 10c every time they made a telephone call. Where did he get that figure from?” Heallli finance

Mr Connelly said he was concerned about the level of finance available to the North Canterbury Hospital Board, which had recently been referred to as “the largest and poorest hospital board in New Zealand.” “The lack of funds threatens the range and availability of health services provided, and has caused delay in the provision of vitally necessary treatment,” Mr Connelly said. “The maintenance grants made available to the board are smaller than those made to many smaller boards.” The provision of a cardiac

| unit should be given top I priority. When would it be • established and functioning? ' What was the target-date for the new surgical block in Christchurch? No assurance Mrs M. D. Batchelor (Lab., Avon) said that no assurance had been given that the; public health service would' continue. She asked if the Government recognised the right of all New Zealanders to a public health system regardless of their ability to pay. Had the Government a commitment to provide health centres, or were the Minister’s statements merelv window-dressing? i