Restoring democracy PROD’S aim

Press, 17 June 1988, Page 4

Restoring democracy PROD’S aim

By

NIGEL MALTHUS

If there is a common thread to the problems besetting New Zealand, such as uncertainty, racial and economic tensions,' and the general feeling of powerlessness, PROD believes it has found it.

PROD is People for the Restoration of Democracy, a non-partisan group which believes the Government has become unaccountable to the people, and rules by executive decree. “We are a group of people from all walks of life who are concerned about the social and economic disintegration which results when Governments refuse to listen,” said the chairman of PROD, Mr Pat Fouhy.

The group, which seeks “a return to democratic consultation and decision-

making,” and an environment in which Parliamentarians are “sensitive to the will of the people,” was launched four weeks ago, and immediately received “positive feedback from North Auckland to Bluff,” said Mr Fouhy. The Palmerston Northbased group has since opened a branch at Levin and hopes to start a Christchurch branch this evening. Mr Fouhy and PROD’S national co-ordi-nator, Dr Bob Moodie, the former Police Association secretary, will address a public meeting this evening at the Riccarton Town Hall. Among its aims are a national half-day stoppage, followed by another, “if the Government refuses to listen,” said Mr Fouhy.

PROD also planned a petition, and was confident it could match the more than 800,000 who signed the petition against homosexual law reform. Mr Fouhy was aware of the irony in the failure of that petition. “That is one of the things that PROD is saying — democratic rights are being trampled. We say no country can live with that,” he said. Mr Fouhy said that New Zealand had no constitutional way to remove a Government that behaved undemocratically, and more and more people were becoming disillusioned with New Zealand’s party political system. Although PROD had no dogmatic theories, it had to point out alternatives. His belief was that

MR FOUHY there were better forms of government, such as the Swiss system, where the Government must hold a binding referendum on important issues when 5 per cent of the electors demand it in a petition.

Legislation can be repealed, and individual politicians unseated if they fail to adhere to their promises, by a similar process. “Roger Douglas and a few other people like that” would have been dismissed if that system were in place here, said Mr Fouhy. It was inevitable that PROD was condemning the Labour Government because it was the one in power, but a National Government would be the same, he said. “From about 1980 onwards, rule by executive decree became more evident. The Labour Government — the Government, not the Labour Party — simply perfected it.” Mr Fouhy said that he had spoken to many Labour Party members

who said that the Government was not accountable and “had to go,” but he had also spoken to National Party members who said “our bunch is no better.” . Mr Fouhy, who is chairman of the Pahiatua County Council and the Manawatu United Council, and a vice-president of the Counties’ Association identified the Local Government Amendment Bill as a serious undemocratic measure.* It would remove the right of citizens for a poll on local government reorganisation, remove the power of the Local Government Commission and even abrogate the right of Parliament itself to decide on local government structure by putting the decision in the hands of a Cabinet committee.