Govt’s ‘time running out’

Press, 29 January 1986, Page 8

Govt’s ‘time running out’

- ?<■ ''<?* ' He said one of the greatest myths about the Government was its assertion that it was creating a “competitive” economy. There had been a huge increase in the size of Government, reflected not just in the doubling of the number of means and in-come-tested social welfare beneficiaries, but also in the expanded role of government agencies and corporations. The Development Finance Corporation and Government Life were now competing directly with the private sector, as would the proposed Forestry Corporation. “So far the Labour Government has created three new departments and is in the process of creating others as well,” Mr McLay said. Since taking office it had authorised the hiring of an extra 3500 public servants.

He said the wage-fixing system was a stumbling block to a truly efficient economy. National would reform wage-bargaining procedures to provide more flexibility, especially through enterprise or industry awards.

He also attacked the Government’s recent Green Paper on industrial relations for “not even

addressing the possibility of voluntary unionism.” Discussing social issues, Mr McLay said legitimate requests by the police for more manpower and resources had been swept aside. The Government was quite happy for the Minister of Social Welfare, Mrs Hercus, to hand out $5 billion in social welfare payments, but it could not find one-third of 1 per cent of that to boost the much-needed work of the police.

Labour had also doubled the number of means and income-tested social welfare beneficiaries.

“What makes it worse is the majority of those people are in full-time paid employment,” he said.

“In other words the 40hour working week is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of some families.”

With the introduction of goods and services tax and family support in October, the Government would recycle money through the social welfare and taxation systems to help people who could not afford to pay their taxes. On A.N.Z.U.S., Mr McLay said not one New Zealander voted for a Labour Government that was going to end the alliance. Yet clearly that was now on the cards. The Government’s responsibility for national safety was absolute, he said, and National would restore New Zealand to full and active membership of A.N.Z.U.S.