Farmers stick to policies

Press, 5 March 1987, Page 3

Farmers stick to policies

PA Wellington Federated Farmers has decided to stick to the economic policies it has pushed for the last two or three years.

Members at a Dominion council meeting on Tuesday continued to back the federation’s stance of calling for a free market with removal of all protection, their policy since the change of Government in 1984.

One delegate suggested some form of compensation for farmers to make up for inequalities caused by tariffs, but the president, Mr Peter Elworthy, said this would clearly reverse the policy which delegates wanted to keep.

While the Government’s credibility had been lost because of its failure to deliver on election promises, the federation’s policy remained proudly intact.

It had consistently called for free-market policies. It was the Government’s handling and timing of economic

measures that created the difficulties faced by farmers, he said. Until after this year’s election there would be no substantial moves by the Government in areas such as tariff removal that the federation considered so important, Mr Elworthy said.

Afterwards there could be big changes. A Southland delegate, Mr Aubrey Begg, said there was no way the federation could change its policy. It was the only political organisation that fully embraced the whole field of market forces.

It could not change its stance if it wanted to remain an influential body. The meat and wool section chairman, Mr Bruce Anderson, said it would throw the federation’s credibility and integrity “out the window.” Farmers were better off looking at their “commercial clout” and banding together rather than changing policy.