Labour Party policy

Press, 23 June 1981, Page 16

Labour Party policy

Sir,—The Labour Party is once again making rash promises — this time a 25 per cent ■power decrease for the South Island. The Government distributes, quite fairly, at an average rate' over the whole ol

New Zealand. Are we one country? If the North Island looked’ at commodities it supplied to the South Island i.e. oil for all New Zealand is refined at Marsden Point; Maui Gas. does it belong to the people of Taranaki alone? And oil already being extracted could conceivably be charged to the South Island at a higher price. We are one country. Let us not be short-circuited by Labour Party politicking, lacking in spark.—Yours, etc., - J. LOWE. June 18, 1981.

Sir,—Verifiable facts do not support Barry Miller's conten:ion (June 19) that “Labour >vould have done as badly, if not worse, than National” if it lad governed since 1975. The 1972-75 Labour Government's record shows: Registered unemployed, 6331; average infla-' tion, 8.2 per cent; external debt, $3.6 billion; average interest rate, 6.4 per cent; growth rate per annunm, 3.2 per cent; under National, 1975-81, the record shows: Registered unemployed, 65,891; average inflation, 15.1 per cent; external debt, $.5.4 billion; average interest rate, 13.31 per cent; growth rate per annum, nil. Labour suffered a 40 per cent decline in export earnings, National has enjoyed a 140 per cent increase in export earnings, and this fact alone highlights how badly National's rule compares with Labour’s. — Yours, etc., M. T. MOORE. June 19; 1981.