New Zealand Party policy

Press, 24 May 1984, Page 16

New Zealand Party policy

Sir,—The essence of the New Zealand Party’s economic policy has apparently escaped your grasp. Your contention that overseas experience of floating exchange rates will bring little comfort to New Zealand is curious, given that Australia, the United States and Britain, which have floating currencies, have per capita G.N.P. growth rates far greater than does New Zealand. The claim that no other party sees the merits of indirect taxation is incorrect. We have had sales taxes on a great number of consumer goods for years. The New Zealand Party’s policy of tight monetary growth control will not be used to restrict the consumer and employer, but rather Treasury and the Reserve Bank in the inflationary practice of “printing money.” In conjunction with policies yet to be released, the New Zealand Party’s economic policy provides the freedom and incentive for all New Zealanders to participate in an expanding and thereby prospering economy. — Yours, etc., M. T. O. QUAIFE. May 22, 1984.

Sir,—Your editorial took a very negative attitude to the New Zealand Party’s economic policy. You unnecessarily complicated the policies that the party proposes. It seems that this outlook of making everything more complex than it really is has become prevalent among many New Zealanders. This is probably because it has become second nature to create complex situations. The New Zealand Party believes that if one begins with certain basic changes, everything else will follow. This is true in life. If one gets back to a basic problem and straightens it out at its roots, everything falls into place. The other political parties have attempted solutions by fiddling with our problems but these will never work until one returns to the base of the problem.—Yours, etc., R. BURROWS, N.Z. Party candidate, Christchurch North. May 22, 1984.

Sir,—l was disappointed by the negative tone of your editorial on the New Zealand Party’s economic policy. New Zealand is like the man who stands on one side of a stream looking at greener pastures on the other side. He would like to move to greener pastures, but will not cross the stream for fear of getting his fest wet or slipping. The

New Zealand Party is offering a chance to leap that stream, but first it seems we must overcome the doubters. The New Zealand Party’s income tax policy offers a positive incentive to wage earners. Companies are offered incentives by tax reductions, export opportunities and a freed economy. The party plans a permanent reduction in inflation. Scare talk of massive rises in inflation, by the old guard parties, is easily discounted. — Yours, etc., NEIL RUSSELL, Yaldhurst candidate, New Zealand Party. May 21, 1984.