Labour to be ‘even-handed’

Press, 6 July 1983, Page 21

Labour to be ‘even-handed’

PA Wellington A Labour government would adopt an even-handed approach to the economy that would ensure no group or sector was given an unfair advantage, the Opposition leader, Mr Lange, has said.

It would also ensure that no group was called on to make an unfair sacrifice, he told the Lower Hutt Business Association.

“A government should avoid constantly changing policies which create uncertainty,” he said.

“It should avoid inconsistent policies which give preferential treatment to certain firms, industries or sectors at the expense of others.”

Mr Lange said a goos example of Government-in-duced uncertainty was the industry studies programme, which began in 1979.

“Here industries are picked off one by one to be restructured by reducing the protection afforded them.

“To me this seems to be a piecemeal and ad hoc approach to the important issue of long-term protec-

tion policy. That is: Just what level of assistance, in what form and for how long should it be provided by the community to the different sectors of the economy?” Mr Lange said the issue should be viewed from an economy-wide perspective to allow the problems, strengths and weaknesses of all industries to be considered on a comparable and even-handed basis. “This will be a Labour government’s approach,” he said.

“It is not going to be easy but it at least will ensure that no sector or group in the community is given an unfair advantage or excessive assistance; similarly, that no group is called upon to make an unfair sacrifice.”

During the next year the Labour Party would develop a comprehensive economic programme that would improve the rewards for hard work, risk taking, innovation, and good management, Mr Lange said. The policies would also aim at making non-produc-tive uses of resources such as land speculation less profitable.