“Think Big”

Press, 25 November 1981, Page 24

“Think Big”

Sir,—The reiteration of your rigid views of Socred’s financial ideas under the heading, “Finance in Fairyland” (November 21), constitutes yet another clout against the possibilities of innovation. Would that your writers were equally as diligent regarding . the proven economic failures of the Muldoon Administration over the last six years. The current point of confusion concerning Mr Muldoon is his pleading with the voters blindly to accept three projects of his "Think Big” fairyland, the reports on which show them to be about as viable as the Bahrain coldstore. Increasing the confusion is Mr Muldoon’s vehement refusal to make these reports public. One would have thought that as “Think Big” is the core of Mr Muldoon’s economic strategy he would have been only too eager to pass on the “good news.” Or could it be, that the Muldoon magic cannot convert the pumpkin reports into a golden coach - after all?—Yours, etc ARTHUR MAY. November 22, 1981. Sir.—Thinking big should be confined to State-owned industries. Large private concerns are more bureaucratic than nationalised ones, while their aim is profit rather than service. One of our oldest mono-

polies is sugar refinery, and, with Christmas cakes now being made, I have been seeking brown sugar, not available in Christchurch supermarkets for weeks, although advertised on special. Thirty years ago, sugar was loaded for all New Zealand ports from a private wharf in Auckland, and the very cheap, competitive railway rate was exploited only for urgent orders. The Railways could then be blamed for local shortages. Now they could not care less if any comes to the South Island at all, like Maui gas. Only Labour approaches the ideal of economic democracy, with our resources, and necessary bureaucracy, controlled by the people for the people. — Yours, etc., VARIAN J. WILSON. November 23, 1981.