Move to oppose secret industrial agreements

Press, 24 November 1980, Page 15

Move to oppose secret industrial agreements

PA Invercargill A national campaign has been launched in Invercargill against secret industrial agreements. The “Instrument of Renunciation” dissociates people who sign it from agreements reached in secret between the Government and industrial interests. The document has been addressed to the Gover-nor-General (Sir David Beattie). A representative of the founding group, Mr D. Lamont, said that it was hoped it would have a dual effect. “We hope that the Gov-, ernment, will back off any secret - "agreements; and that any other parties will start to be uncertain about the future of any agreements, that are signed,” he said. “The Government and the Governor-General could not ignore the renunciation if we get 250,000 signatures, but the effects would be felt far before that figure.” The document says: "We ... hereby renounce responsibility for the honouring of any agreement made in secret, or after secret negotiations, on our behalf, by any member or members of the Government or a Government agency on the one hand, and any company or corporation, whether domiciled in New Zealand or overseas on the other hand, in respect

!■ of the allocation or disr posal Of any development as a result of public enter- ' prise, or in respect of the disposition of any part of a the New Zealand labour force. “Furthermore, we renounce responsibility for V the honouring of any j agreement, secret or

otherwise, made by the above parties whre, by taxation discounts or other fiscal measures, the true value of the resource is not being fully realised to the benefit of the people of New Zealand.” An explanation accompanying the document says that secrecy allows factors other than those publicly stated to enter negotiations, "making deception possible over a wide political and business range.” Mr Lamont said that the second smelter and the associated power policy was -the focus of the document but he hoped that it would have an effect "across the board” on the Government and other parties. "Statements have been made by the Prime Minis-

ter (Mr Muldoon) and Mr Hugh Fletcher about New Zealand’s having stable government. They have implied that we are a lot of sheep.

“This document is to show that we are not going to be so unquestioning in the future,” said Mr Lamont.

He emphasised that it was a declaration and not a petition.' The document would be circulated by environmental and conservation groups. A token payment of 10c would be asked from those who signed the petition. “This is basically asking people to put their money where their mouth is,” Mr Lamont said.

“We hope that it will cover costs, and any excess will go into a fighting fund,” he said.