Government forced on back foot—Opposition

Press, 10 March 1988, Page 6

Government forced on back foot —Opposition

PETER LUKE

I political reporter Public outrage has ! forced the Government to i “crank up its propaganda | machine,” according to j the' Opposition’s spokesman on labour, Mr Bill ! Birch. i ! He said that the Gov- i ernment had been forced ' on I to the back foot be- ; cause it felt the anger of j many groups throughout ‘ New Zealand, especially ; woinen.

Mr Birch was responding to the >225,000 advertising pusl on the State Sector Bill The mor ey will pay for a series of advertisements in 25 da ly newspapers 1 over thre; days to to-; morrow. . The campaign will culminate with advertise-; ments aimed specifically; at striking workers. The Public Service Association has called a, 24-hour st ippage 1 on Mon-! day.

A spokesman for the Minister of State Services, Mr Rodger, said the campaign { aimed to correct “misinformation.” But it also acknowledged that the Government had not got the intentions of the bill ! across early enough. i The Cabinet approved the campaign-spending in principle last week, and saw the advertisements on Monday this week. The State Services Commission has a separate

budget of $60,0()0 to spend on the bill. I This has ■ financed newsletters and a series of three question-and-answer booklets. The commission’s communication manager, Mr Roger Anderson, said a hot line set up for State servants had averaged about 30 calls a day. These had generally been queries about how individuals’ conditions of employment would be affected.