Rowling campaign opens to wild enthusiasm and strong warnings

Press, 1 November 1978, Page 1

Rowling campaign opens to wild enthusiasm and strong warnings

PA Palmerston North New Zealanders would go to the polls in a few weeks in the most crucial election this country had seen in 40 years, said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) in Palmerston North last evening. “This is not just an election to decide the government of this country.” he said, opening the Labour Party’s election campaign before a wildly enthusiastic. capacity crowd in the Palmerston North Opera House. “It is not just an election to decide whether it’s Muldoon or Rowling. “It is an election to decide the future shape and direction of the country — an election to decide about New Zealand the way you really want it.” Mr Rowling’s speech had a rapturous reception from the crowd of more than 1000. His supporters started arriving for the televised performance about 6.30 p.m., and when the doors were opened to the general pub-

lie at 7.30 p.m. seats remained for about 200 only. Many of the latecomers were young National Party supporters wearing blue-and-white caps. They constantly interjected but were mostly drowned by Mr Rowling. By 7.45 p.m. the Opera House was full and people were either turned away or directed to another room to watch the live telecast. Mr Rowling exhorted his audience to look “honestly and hard” at the way New Zealand was heading today, and to decide if that was the future they wanted. The General Election was about reality, he said, reminding people of the reality of 1978 — “The age of the so-called economic miracle.” “The export boom has come and gone — and all New Zealand has is a great debt to show it has come this way,” he said. The National Government, with everything going its way. had borrowed overseas more in two

years than the Labour Government had ever contemplated. There were 100.000 or more New Zealanders who wanted to work who were “required to rot because of this Government which said it stood for full employment.” Individual incentive and opportunity had been crushed and had withered under a Government that said it was the champion of free enterprise. “Champions of free enterprise?” Mr Rowling said. “They couldn’t even keep their promises to their own people, let alone to the rest of New Zealand.” The young and the talented were streaming out of the country because they saw no future in their own country. “There has never been a time in the history of this country when we have been so divided with bitterness and sourness, when New Zealander has been turned against New Zealander, when each person tries to keep his place by kicking the other fellow down,” Mr Rowling said.

Mr Rowling said there was a clear choice facing New Zealanders: -either to rebuild the country or “go on clawing our way to destruction.” There would be no more of the “trickery'’ of the 1978 Budget, he said. He compared a worker’s vote for the National Party with a chicken’s vote for Colonel Sanders. Mr Rowling outlined the key points of Labour's tax system: —A basic living wage for every individual “before that tax man’s knife begins to slash.” —Equal treatment for families with dependent children. —Reward for extra effort. Mr Rowling said the path to recovery would not be easy. “But 1 pledge to you that tomorrow will be brighter under a Labour Government.” Mr Rowling will continue his campaign at Marton and Wanganui, where he is scheduled to address a public meeting this evening.