Labour conference delegates warned

Press, 29 August 1986, Page 29

Labour conference delegates warned

PA Wellington Labour Party opponents of the Government’s economic policies needed to explain why they opposed policies which stripped subsidies from multi-national monopolies, the member of Parliament for Hastings, Mi David Butcher, has said. Delegates to the party’s annual conference this week-end should carefully examine all alternative policies, he said. ‘‘Those self-styled ‘working class warriors’ who do not like the direction of Labour Government policies need to explain why they are opposing policies which are stripping subsidies off the

multi-national monopolies they present to oppose,” he said.

The Government’s Finance Ministers are likely to come under strong attack at the Wellington conference, which has remits telling caucus to stick to party principles.

Separate remits call for a review of the goods and services tax, recognition of the harmful effects of high interest rates, abandonment of legislation deregulating the finance industry, opposition to privatisation, support for a managed exchange rate, and opposition to monetary policy as the means

of controlling inflation. Earlier this week, the secretary of the Otago Trades Council, Mr Chris Trotter, accused the caucus of "riding roughshod over practically every principle” the Labour Party stood for.

Mr Lange, has said Labour’s Left wing would not be allowed to “hijack” the rest of the party to force the Government to alter economic policies.

Mr Butcher said that since the election the Government had “stripped more tax ripoffs and sweetheart deals” from monopolies than any other Government in the Western world.