N.Z. lurching on destruction course —Mr Rowling

Press, 16 May 1979, Page 1

N.Z. lurching on destruction course —Mr Rowling

PA ’ ~ ' Wellington The National Administration was only a pretence of a Government, “without a mandate, a philosophy, or a plan," said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) last evening, in his address to the Labour Party's annual conference. Mr Rowling described the Government as “the remnants of a political myth that has in the past blinded too many to reality, and led New Zealand to the brink of economic ruin.’* It was a “political cabal" which had clawed its way back into power by the manipulation of the democratic process, and by political deception to a degree unequalled in New Zealand history. "They achieved their goal,” Mr Rowling said. • But look at them now — confused, tattered, weak." Mr Rowling asserted that the price of National’s performance was being paid through the pockets of working families, by unemployed 16-y ear-olds, by

elderly pensioners, and by parents as they said goodbye to a son or daughter. “Our nation lurches on a destruction course,” Mr Rowling said. Commenting on National’s return to free enterprise, Mr Rowling said it was an open licence for those with power, and in “their language” those with power were those with money. If National were allowed to go on unchecked the divisions and frustrations of the last three years would magnify until society was shattered beyond recognition, Mr Rowling said. He pledged that Labour would continue subsidising basic food items if necessary. “And before the residue of the National Party gets too excited on that question, let me remind them that there has been more taxpayers’ money paid out in State subsidies in the last year than in any year under the third Labour Government,” Mr Rowling said.

The difference was in who got the subsidies. Mr Rowling said Labour would never stand back and see working families driven to the wall because someone wanted to pursue some “half-baked" economic theory. He said New Zealand would not hawk the resources of the country to overseas interests. Investors must come as partners, with a clear under-, standing of their obligations. Labour must also make it clear that there would be no compromise on the right to and the responsibility of work. The growing acceptance that unemployment was inevitable was intolerable, Mr Rowling said. But Labour would not be in the business of taxing people to pay other people to do nothing. Mr Rowling repeated Labour’s commitment to the principles of the Welfare State and pledged “decency and honesty” in Government. Conference reports, Page 3