New industrial law needed, says Socred

Press, 16 November 1981, Page 6

New industrial law needed, says Socred

PA Palmerston North New industrial law was needed to cope with the growing number of redundancies throughout New Zealand, said the leader of the Social Credit political league (Mr Beetham) at Palmerston North during the week-end. he proposed a new deal for those about to lose their jobs because the firm they worked for was going into liquidation. “We would bring in new legislation which would require that any firm at the point of liquidation should have an appropriate percentage' of its capital assets designated for conversion into cash,” said Mr Beetham. “The need for reasonable redundancy payments would be a first call on a firm’s remaining assets.”

Mr Beetham told the audience of about 300 that the actual amount to be paid, should be determined by a redundancy mediator. In a wide-ranging speech, he attacked what he called the Government’s “electoral goodies syndrome,”, he predicted that Social Credit would capture the Kaipara and Bay of Islands seats, and he promised that the league would examine the possibility of reopening Auckland’s North Shore Teachers’ College. Mr Beetham also said that the Government had budgeted for a 44 per cent rise in the cost of the dole and job-creation schemes. “Next winter there is going to be a very substantial rise in unemployment if present government policies

continue and it is obvious the Government is expecting it. “Yet the Prime Minister’s . answer to this is his ‘think big’ Alice in Wonderland strategy, which he says will benefit our children who are as yet unborn.” Mr Beetham criticised as “unrealistic and shortsighted” quota cuts in trainee teachers, and said . that teachers now lived in fear of their jobs. “The Education Department is being blamed for the Government’s bungling,” he said. “Thousands of New Zealanders have taken their children out of school and out of the country because they could see little or no future here under National. “This has gone a long way towards producing falling rolls throughout the country.