Govt failing to promote technology?

Press, 17 March 1987, Page 7

Govt failing to promote technology?

The Labour Government’s failure to promote high technology industries, research and development would harm New Zealand’s future, said the National member of Parliament for Fendalton, Mr Philip Burdon, last evening.

“There is no evidence that the traditional industrial base of the economy is being replaced with a new generation of innovative, high technology industries,” he said in a

speech to party members in the Labour-held Yaldhurst electorate. ; He warned that without i the commitment to high technology, New Zealand could become “a colonial, Third World, primary producer.” The Government had failed to complement the reforms of the private sector with similar reforms in the labour market, and firm control of the public sector. Mr Burdon predicts a

fundamental difference between the Labour and National parties in the election this year would be their attitude to the productive sector, which was now in sharp decline.

Labour was questioning the contribution that manufacturing could make to the economy. The internal deficit was running so high that domestic interest rates were at horrifying levels, putting impossible > pres-

sure on private sector funding and creating an unrealistic and dangerously. high value for the dollar, Mr Burdon said.

Exports, in both volume and monetary terms, were sharply down on previous years, recording the first decline in export-led growth for 20 years. Yet every successful post-war economy had been based on exportled growth, Mr Burdon said.