Economics dominate issues

Press, 18 November 1981, Page 10

Economics dominate issues

The issues facing New Zealand in this ■ year’s General Election are dominated by economic considerations, says Mr Geoffrey Palmer, the Labour member of Parliament for Christchurch Central. The need to provide more jobs is the first priority. The; Government’s “think big” strategy is highly risky and will not provide 'adequate employment opportunities, while it soaks up the money available for investment at the same time, ?he\ says. “There are limits on the capacity of the economy to service investment and those limits are exceeded by the Government’s programme. You can only spend the investment dollar once and we must take care to see that we get maximum return in terms of jobs.”

It is vitally important to lower the burden of individual income tax on New Zealand families. Housing is also a critically important issue, he says. “There is a ruinous property boom in the country. The result is that housing is being priced out of the reach of ordinary wage and salary earners, and the plight of those who must rent is very difficult. An important prior-

ity is the provision of adequate stocks of rental housing.”

Mr Palmer says New Zealand needs a thorough consti-' tutional spring-clean and he strongly advocates Labour’s policies on open government. These call for reform of Parliament, freedom of Government information, greater protection for civil liberties, reform ’ in the law-making process, more protection against regulations and red tape, and the introduction of a bill of rights. At a local level, Mr Palmer believes the most urgent issues are clean air for Christchurch and regional development policies to improve employment opportunities in Canterbury and the South Island. Aged 39. Mr Palmer was

professor of law at Victoria University of Wellington before he entered politics. He has published books on constitutional law, accident compensation, social welfare, and tort law. He has advised several Governments overseas on accident compensation. -

Mr Palmer graduated as a doctor of law from the University of Chicago in 1967. He is secretary of the Labour Party’s policy council and designed the party’s policy on open Government.

He became personal assistant to the leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) in 1979 and holds the portfolio of constitutional affairs in the Labour Party’s Shadow' Cabinet. He is married, with two children.

MR

I. G. B. WILSON