What the M.P.s were saying ‘Redundancy top issue'

Press, 10 May 1982, Page 2

What the M.P.s were saying ‘Redundancy top issue'

Parliamentary reporter Redundancy arid loss of jobs was the most important single industrial relations issue at present, said Mr T. K. Burke (Lab., West Coast) in introducing the Conditions of Employment Bill to Parliament. The bill was an industrial relations gone and not only involved that subject, which, was important, but also involved the loss of employment through factory closings and through the running down of undertakings when people were made redundant. Unemployment was at a post-war high, as was rising unemployment, said Mr Burke. The number of unemployed this year was 20 per cent higher than last year.

• The “law of the jungle” prevailed in the existing legislative vacuum, said Mr Burke. Many people had called for legislation dealing with redundancy.

Broadcasts The closing of Radio New Zealand’s overseas service was a disgrace, said Mr G. W. R. Palmer (Lab., Christchurch Central). It was disgraceful to hear of such “short-sighted, stunted, decision-making” under the guise of government from a Minister of Foreign .Affairs (Mr Cooper) whose vision of foreign relations was so pathetically limited, he said. Explanations by the Minister of Broadcasting (Dr Shearer) were devoid of content and bankrupt of principle. Dr Shearer had said the best solution to the problem was to hand over the overseas' broadcasts to Radio Rhema, which, at its highest level of achievement, had only 1 per cent of the ratings in Christchurch. It was preposterous that the Government should suggest that an important part

of New Zealand’s foreign policy be conducted in this way, said Mr Palmer. The Broadcasting Corporation had said it would cost only $3.5 million over two years to keep the service going; not the $6 million the Government said it would. This decision was an example of the mindless across-the-board cuts in government expenditure without any principle because no priorities had been set, said Mr Palmer. C.N.G. kits The. number of C.N.G.' conversions was still flagging, said Mr D. F. Caygill (Lab., St Albans). The Minster of Energy (Mr Birch) had said that in March this year only 913 conversibir‘"'kits had been sold, compared with 1363 in March last year. More than 1000 more conversion kits had been sold in the first three months of last

year than in the first three months of this year. That was 60 per cent more conversions than now, said Mr Caygill, and it was simply not good enough.

At this rate the Government had no chance of reaching its target of 150,000 vehicles converted to C.N.G. by 1985. Over all, the C.N.G. conversion programme was running at only half the rate required to reach that target. In many respects the Minister was a victim of his own folly, said Mr Caygill. People needed confidence in C.N.G. The Minister had undermined that confidence by removing L.P.G. from price control last year, and by withdrawing incentives to the gas industry this year. It also had not helped that the Minister, during the last election campaign, had exaggerated the number of C.N.G. conversions and filling stations that were then being achieved, he said.