I will continue to speak out —Mr Anderton

Press, 3 July 1985, Page 8

I will continue to speak out —Mr Anderton

Mr Jim Anderton, the member of Parliament for Sydenham, told a meeting of about 80 people in his electorate last evening that he would continue to speak out in their defence as he saw it. He had received some criticism for speaking publicly, but, he said, he had spoken even more forcefully in closed forums. He emphasised that he was a strong supporter of the Labour Party. Part of the reason he expressed strong views was to try to prod the party in the direction he would like it to take, he said. It was Mr Anderton’s second public meeting in his electorate since Labour took office last year. He has said that he will hold two such meetings a year to inform his electorate of the way the Government is carrying out election promises and to hold himself accountable to those who elected him. He quoted several case histories of people in the electorate who had sought his help. Some of the cases were “fairly harrowing.” There doubtless was real hardship both in Sydenham

and in other electorates, said Mr Anderton. The problems were not because of Labour’s policies in the last 10 months but because of the “social, economic, and political neglect by the previous Government.” One problem he singled out was that some people’s wages were too low; in some cases less than the unemployment benefit. Mr Anderton said that some negative aspects of the economy today included rent rises, price increases, and the run-down of the health system. “I have to say in fairness that a good many of the problems we face have been inherited. On the other hand there is no doubt that the economic policies the Government is following are making pain, in the short term, that is difficult to bear. “I share your concern about that, but I have to say that the Government views this as a temporary measure and is very hopeful that the light is at the end of the tunnel,” Mr Anderton said. He also outlined what he called the “fraudulent

crocodile tears” of the National Opposition. “With hands over their hearts they have this incredible ability to exude double standards. They are against all controls but they want price reductions. “They are for the free market in principle but against it when it is applied. They are against Government expenditure but in every area they actually scream out that there should be better health service, and all the rest of it, completely blocking their eyes to the fact that they have been there for 30 of the last 36 years. “I don’t know how you reduce Government expenditure if you are going to improve health, education, housing, and so on. “They are fbr individual rights but against trade unions exercising those rights. They wail and moan about superannuation, yet they altered it much more drastically than we ever did. “Again the National Party say they are for indirect taxes but they won’t tell us what kind of indirect taxes,” Mr Anderton said.