Law reform pledged

Press, 21 November 1981, Page 6

Law reform pledged

NZPA political reporter Wanganui A Labour Party government would reform industrial legislation; the party leader (Mr Rowling) told a generally quiet audience of about 800 at the Opera House, Wanganui, last evening. He said that New Zealand “should not continue to be shackled" by existing industrial legislation. The law was now often “50 years out of date, often an open invitation for confrontation. and frequently exploited for no other reason than what is believed to be political gam."

There was no argument that a government should govern in the interests of the people as a whole. But when a government became involved in an industrial dispute; it should be only on the basis of ground rules that were able to be enforced and “only when it is clear that the parties involved are unable themselves to reach a reasonable solution.” New Zealand had had enough of ‘‘rhinoceros tactics: short-sighted, thickheaded,” and aimed at making political capital out of a situation, rather than attempting to find a solution. When any body of law was unable to be enforced it threw the whole law into disrespect.

Labour would revise the laws and would negotiate a national wages policy with all the parties. Labour’s taxwage trade-off plan would also, take some of the heat out of wage bargaining. The meeting was not an ideal end to the third week of campaigning for Mr Rowling. In a safe Labour seat, which is held by Mr C. R. Marshall, with a majority of more than 3000, Mr Rowling was ouidrawn two nights ago by the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) who had an audience of about 950.

Rowling aides blamed Fri-day-night shopping and said that Mr Rowling had drawn an audience of about 350 pensioners earlier in the day. . But although he got a standing ovation, the meeting was generally muted. Mr Rowling . was persistently heckled and seemed less at ease than he has been all week.

He dwelt again on the Government’s growth strategy, saying that there was “no, way that. hitching governmental hopes to the falling ‘think big’ star will do anything to help this country.” The growth strategy was a “sell-out to foreign interests.”

Reacting to Mr Muldoon’s challenges 'bn Labour’s policy, Mr Rowling said that the party’s five-year development plan was “the most carefully researched and costed” policy ever put for-' ward by a political party in: New Zealand. '