Image wrong says Young Nat.

Press, 13 April 1982, Page 4

Image wrong says Young Nat.

PA Invercargill Concern that many New Zealanders have been alienated by the Government's growth strategy programme because they ’ have interpreted it as being synonymous with big business has been expressed at the South Island conference of the Young Nationals in Queenstown. The address by the Dominion chairman. Mr Peter Kiely, and all sessions of the South Island conference have been closed to the public. However. Mr Kiely said later that he was particularly worried about the attitude of many people to the growth programme. Mr Kiely, of Auckland, said his address to the 40 delegates had highlighted the need to convince people that this was not the case.

The conference was addressed on Saturday by the member of Parliament for Clutha. Mr Robin Gray, who mainly spoke about the open government issue which he said was of vital concern to the Young Nationals. Mr Kiely said he had emphasised that small business was "the heart and soul" of the New Zealand way of life and people had to be persuaded that the National Party was not the beneficiary of big business, big capital, or the multinationals. The National Party believed in the small businessman. a vigorous economy, and free enterprise, he said. The way was clear in NewZealand for anyone who wanted to to "have a go." and people should not feel otherwise.