National’s credibility ‘blown in 24 hours’

Press, 20 November 1981, Page 6

National’s credibility ‘blown in 24 hours’

PA Invercargill National ana Labour leaders and policies were lambasted in a hard-hitting campaign speech by the Social Credit leader (Mr Beetham) in Invercargill last evening. Commenting on developments during the day* Mr Beetham told an audience of about 550 that National had “blown its credibility” in 24 hours. Referring to the reports prepared for the Cabinet expenditure committee on the “think big” projects, Mr Beetham said he had been satisfied they existed. He said he was pleased that the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) had raised credibility as an election issue. Of the Government’s refusal to grant work permits to the Aqua Avia Society aircraft crew, Mr Beetham said National had done everything in its power to stop Skybus from taking.off. At the same time, it pretended to stand for private enterprise. The audience rarely reflected Mr Beetham’s enthusiasm, in not unusual Southland style. In fact, short speeches by the local league candidates, Messrs Joe Radich (Invercargill), Owen Horton (Wallace), and Rex Henderson (Awarua), seemed to attract more spirited applause than Mr Beetham. Mr Beetham outlined the league’s economic policies “in the simplest terms I can muster.” He said inflation should be the key election issue be-

cause it lay at the heart of most economic and social ills. Inflation had been about for so long that New Zealanders were in danger of accepting it. National dodged inflation as an issue and made issues of the separate effects of inflation.. < It was time for a new economic policy for the country. There had been land reform in the 1890 s, social reform in the 19305, and financial and fiscal reform was needed in the 1980 s, Mr Beetham said. If the opportunity to support Social Credit was not taken this election, he said, it might be another 40 years before another opportunity for big changes presented itself because that seemed to be the pattern in New Zealand. Mr Beetham said that the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) was trying to “seduce” the public into not voting for Social Credit by saying he would call, for another election in three months if he did not get the result he wanted. Mr Beetham said that that was an example of “National’s acceptance of some sort of divine right to make people vote . for National for ever.” The Governor-General would grant a dissolution of Parliament only if he was satisfied the Prime Minister had a just cause for seeking it and that a totally inflexible, unworkable situation existed in Parliament—a situation Social Credit would not allow to be created. Mr Beetham made strong

attacks on both opposing parties. He said National was no longer, motivated by any detectable philosophy. “If any, it is privileged enterprise.” National had no conscience about character assassinations and personal denigration, an arrogance that came from occupying the Treasury benches for so long, and regarded the holding of power as an end in itself. Mr Beetham described Mr Muldoon as “strong on words but short on delivery.” The Labour leader (Mr Rowling) could not hold his team together other than in election year. “How can he claim to have the leadership qualities to hold the country together?” Mr Beetham said. In comparison with National, Labour did have a heart, he said. In fact, it was all heart and no head. There were as many Labour policies as there were Labour members of Parliament. Labour could only offer “watered-down socialist platitudes from the past” that were no longer applicable. Mr Beetham said Labour’s promised taxation relief would be cancelled out within six or eight months because of the inflation generated by surcharges on foreign exchange. National called Social Credit “socialism in disguise” and Labour called Social Credit “alternative Tories.” He said they could not both be right. In fact, Social Credit was firmly on the middle ground.