British housewives fighting for N.Z.

Press, 12 June 1979, Page 27

British housewives fighting for N.Z.

By

KEN COATES

don

in Lon-

The housewives of Britain are up in arms, this time fighting for New Zealand’s right to continue selling dairy produce and lamb in their country.

The 30,000-member National Housewives’ Association will present a petition to the British Government seeking to safeguard the continuation of traditional New Zealand exports to Britain.

“We feel very strongly that Britain owes a debt of honour to New Zealand and we have written to the Government in Wellington asking how many ships and men were lost in world wars,” said the association’s secretary (Mrs Irene Watson).

She said that the petition had received widespread support throughout Britain although a count of nanes had not yet been made. It would also ask that levies be kept at the lowest le”'el “so that consumers may benefit from reasonable prices and ensure the livelihood of New Zealanders.” It said that it supported New Zealand’s right to trade with Britain particularly in view of historic ties. Mrs Watson said that she would have a “quick whip round” in Plymouth before sending the petition to Mr Allan Clarke, the Conservative member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton, who would receive

it oatside the main entrance to the House of Commons on June 19. She said that reports that New Zealand dairy prodkice might be phased out of Britain “make me livid" The right to trade with Britain had to be retained by New Zealand, whidh was vitally dependent on it. "I don’t think Mrs Thatcher’s Government will do anything about altering the.E.E.C agricultural policy to bring prices down unless constantly prodded by groups like ours,” she s .idl Mrs Watson, who is a pensioner, said that the price of New Zealand lamfo was now so high that she could not afford it. *1 have become a vegetarian.” she said.