Govt-reform promise

Press, 8 November 1978, Page 11

Govt-reform promise

PA Auckland A Social Credit government would call a constitutional development conference to consider the reform of the New Zealand government. The present system was becoming increasingly obsolete. said the Social Credit leader (Mr B. C. Beetham) to about 1500 people at South Auckland last evening. People crammed the balcony surrounding Mr Beetham and every chair in the

Manukau City Centre was filled. An overhaul of the present system of government was seen by Social Credit as a priority of equal importance to the overhaul of the obsolete monetary system, Mr Beetham said.” The outmoded machinery of government was geared to serve the purposes of executive government and its agencies. Present safeguards against abuse of executive power varied from being ineffective, inoperative, or in-

I sufficient to being totally non-; existent. “There has been a con-1' tinuous erosion of human: rights and democratic processes that were built up in-I earlier times, and have since: jbeen maintained largely out! iof respect for tradition rather! than by built in safeguards,”! he said. “This erosion has been ! going on for several decades! under National and Labour; Governments. It has reached! an all-time low under the: present Muldoon Government during the last three years.”