Speaking tour defended

Press, 14 December 1985, Page 1

Speaking tour defended

Wellington reporter The Ministers’ speaking tour to explain to farmers’ the implications of Thursday’s economic package was defended by the Government yesterday. An Associate Minister of Finance, Mr Caygill, said the meeting had not been initiated by the Government for any political purpose but because farmers were entitled to hear about the new policies direct.

The Opposition has suggested that the meetings are a propaganda exercise. National’s spokesman on Agriculture, Mr lan McLean, criticised the Ministers for vetoing formal speeches by Opposition members as part of the speaking engagements. He said National members would attend the meetings anyway and “give all assistance possible” to farmers reacting to the package. Mr Caygill said Mr McLean had been unfair on Federated Farmers which had simply confirmed Government thinking that farmers would want the opportunity to hear about the policies first-hand and had helped arrange the meetings. “The objective wasn’t a political Donnybrook. It was' an opportunity farmers need to question Ministers direct and to come to grips with what these policies mean for their own deci-sion-making,” Mr Caygill said.