‘Tablet’ editorial condemns Govt

Press, 4 August 1987, Page 1

‘Tablet’ editorial condemns Govt

By

CHRIS MOORE

The stormy relationship betwees the Roman Catholic newspaper, the "Tablet,” and the Laboar Party entered a new crisis yesterday with the publication of a strongly worded editorial condemning Government policies. Bat the newspaper’s editor, lobs Kennedy, denied that the opposition to the Government, and his personal indication in the same issue that he could not vote for Labour was connected to the fact that the Leader of

the Opposition, Mr Bolger, is a Catholic.

The editorial described thefourth Labour Government as being "the most cold-hearted Administration that this nation has ever known.”

"The fact that Jim Bolger is Catholic simply doesn’t enter Into it We would have taken this decision whatever denomination he was. But I realise that this idea could be in the back of some people’s minds,” Mr Kennedy said. In his editorial, Mr Kennedy

wrote that the Government’s economic policies were not as successful as it claimed and that a fascination with economic problems was "facile.” "We are deeply worried at its increasing disregard for human values. The Prime Minister has made much of its concern for people In his campaign opening but the fact is that ordinary New Zealanders are being harder and harder hit.

"Unemployment is rising. The provinces are in decay, manufacturing is in a crisis, educa-

tion is not delivering the goods, the poor and homeless grow in number and, worst of all, the country seems to be drifting into accepting an ever present pool of unemployed.

"At the same time as the Government pledges to reduce violence and give us a more attractive society in which to live, it is planning to make the ultimate violence — the murder of the unborn — available on demand.” . ‘ Later in the same edition, he indicated that he would person-

ally not vote for the Government

But Mr Kennedy denied that he was telling fellow New Zealand Catholics how to vote in the General Election on August 15.

“Fm telling them how and why I aim casting my vote. What they do is up to them.

“There is no way that I, as a Christian family man, can bring myself to vote for the Labour Party this election.”