‘Broad, non-specific’ agenda for summit

Press, 30 August 1984, Page 1

‘Broad, non-specific’ agenda for summit

By

MICHAEL HANNAH

in Wellington A “deliberately broad and non-specific” agenda for the Economic Summit Conference was released yesterday with a warning that New Zealanders should be “realistic” about what can be achieved by the conference. The draft agenda was released at a press conference by the chairman of the conference steering committee, Mr Ron Trotter, and the conference director, Mr Derek Homewood. Mr Trotter asked that people be realistic about the likely outcome of the conference, and suggested they should not set their sights so high that they would be disappointed.

He also considered that if there were any people who were “unimpressed or cynical” about the conference, it would not work as well as he hoped.

Mr Trotter believed that the conference would have achieved something if it altered people’s attitudes to change and their understanding of the economy, and if it got people together

who had a great influence oh the economy but who may never have met one another.

Follow-ups from the conference would depend on the Government and on the attitude of the parties, Mr Trotter said. Seating for the conference had not yet been arranged, but Mr Homewood said it was not the steering committee’s intention to allow participants to sit in big blocks. A total of 61 observers, including 17 heads of Government departments, would also be invited, and the participants had indicated so far that they would like 40 advisers to attend also. However, only the original list of 95, plus the chairman and deputy chairman, and the members of the steering committee would have speaking rights. The agenda shows the televised conference starting with opening statements by the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, who will also chair the conference, and by representatives of the employee, employer, agricultural, and social and com-

munity groups. The representatives of these groups would be nominated by the groups themselves, Mr Trotter said. They would be able to speak for 10 to 15 minutes, and then the main discussion of the conference would be started probably with a speech by the Minister of •Finance, Mr Douglas. Conference sessions would take up about five hours on three days from September 12 to 14, starting at 9.30 a.m. and finishing about 4.30 p.m., with breaks for. refreshments and lunch. Each speaker, apart from Ministers, would be limited to five to eight minutes speaking time, and would be free to speak on conference matters as each saw fit. However, the steering committee’s agenda was intended to suggest to speakers that they deal with the economic situation first, looking at the economic circumstances, problems and opportunities and a consistent policy framework, and then tackle specific issues under the general heading, “Strategy for reconstruction.”

Speakers would be encouraged under this section to talk about resource allocation, growth and employment, prices and incomes, social justice, with particular reference to low-income households; and the conference follow-up. Time would then be allowed for conclusions. Background papers would be allowed'to be submitted before the conference and would be distributed by the steering committee. Mr Trotter said an economic background paper had already been drafted, but was being rewritten to take account of criticism by a group of 18 economists, to whom it had been referred on Monday. The conference was working within a budget of $200,000 from the Internal Affairs Department. Mr Trotter said it was likely the budget would be entirely spent. Three persons had withdrawn from the original list of participants because they would be overseas, and one person was unable to attend because of illness. Observers list, page 2

and Mr lan Douglas, of the Planning Council. The 18 economists who studied the draft document included representatives of the F.O.L. and various manufacturing and employers groups as well as university and independent economists. National Party members of Parliament, including the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Robert Muldoon, have expressed strong disapproval of the Parliamentary debating chamber’s being used for the conference, saying they do not want

Communists sitting in the seats of democratically elected representatives. The Speaker, Sir Basil Arthur, gave initial approval for the chamber to be used, but is reconsidering his decision after more than 20 written submissions from the Opposition. Mr Trotter said the debating chamber was the • most convenient and comfortable venue for the summit, but it could be changed without much difficulty. The . old Legislative Chamber was the obvious second choice, although it was not as convenient for television.