NATIONAL PARTY’S POLICY

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 September 1943, Page 2

NATIONAL PARTY’S POLICY

PHILOSOPHY AND AIMS MR. HOLLAND. OPENS CAMPAIGN [SPECIAL TO “STAR.”] CHRISTCHURCH, August 31. ' What he termed “a five-pronged programme” for a New Zealand of happy families, living in their own homes and without unemployment and avoidable sickness, was expounded by the Leader of the National Party (Mr. S. G. Holland) when he opened the party’s election campaign in an address in the Theatre Royal this evening. He said the party’s policy meant . happiness for the masses, prosperity for those who did their share, and security for those who could not do their share. “We will give the people good government without class discrimination, without fear, and with honesty and consideration for every citizen,” he said. After explaining that rural topics would be dealt with by him when speaking in country electorates, Mr. Holland said the general election gave the people the ■ opportunity to choose their Government after comparing the policies and measuring the merits of the candidates. There was a tendency to object to other parties and independents but the National Party subscribed to the right of every man to stand for Parliament. Two Labour parties were standing, one led by Mr. Fraser and the other by Mr. J. A. Lee. Both believed in socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the bureaucratic control of the people’s way of life. There was a party or group organised by Mr. A. E. Davy, who had stepped up his bid from £70,000,000 when with Sir Joseph Ward, to £100,000,000 with an anonymous leader. Then they had the National Party, which he described as a splendid team, mostly young, nearly all New Zealanders by birth, and all anxious to build a better New Zealand. The National Party believed that the people were happiest when most 1 free from Government dictation and in a system where they lived in their own homes and ran their own farms and factories and in which the Government served the people, and not the other way round. They subscribed to a system of competitive free enterprise, in which people who worked hard were better off than those who slacked, people liked to do their own thinking, and where industry, enterprise and thrift were virtues to be rewarded rather than looked upon as indiscretions to be penalised. “A BETTER GOVERNMENT”

Declaring that if he understood public opinion, the people were led up with personalities and recriminations, Mr. Holland said the people wanted the policy of the parties. They knew perfectly well whether or not they liked the Fraser Government, ■and he was convinced that many desired a change of Government but they were fearful lest a change might result in their jumping from the frying pan into the fire. He did not say the Government was all wrong. What he did say was that the National Party would give the electorate better government. „ „ . “I want to make it perfectly clear that we are not offering something tor nothing, and we are not going to make a lot of wild promises that can t be fulfilled,” said Mr. Holland. “New Zealand is fed up with promises of public works without public debt, social security and less taxation, less work and more goods, higher wages and cheaper goods.” Broadly speaking, the policy was under five headings—work for all; a planned attack on the causes of want; the restoration of personal freedom; justice to the parents of families; the building of homes for the people to own. After stressing the importance of rehabilitation and explaining the party’s proposals, Mr. Holland said there had grown up in New Zealand an intolerable system of State dictation, bureaucratic interference, and 'departmental inefficiency. The industrial licensing system created vast monopolies and even returning servicemen could not get licenses to earn a living. The system had increased living costs and reduced supplies while quality had deteriorated. Intelligent planning of employment ' was advocated by Mr. Holland, who said the Dominion must always be careful to give Great Britain her best customer, every consideration. His policy was to deduct from the total receipts from exports interest payments and the cost of essential imi ports such as oil, rubber, etc., not procurable from Britain, and to purchase the balance of raw materials not provided by local resources from the United kingdom. Farming provided the overseas funds and the manufacturing industries the employment here. There was room for widespread expansion of manufacturing industries, but there could be no progress without industrial harmony. It had to be admitted that the worker had not always had his full share of increased • production, and profit-sharing and co-partnership were schemes which would be introduced and fostered. “The party that does only the easy thing, the popular thing, is unworthy of support,” declared Mr. Holland, when discussing moral and social questions. The liquor licensing laws had become farcical. The trade, the Alliance, the man in the street, were agreed on that, and the National Party would not dodge that vital issue. The licensing laws and the liquor trade generally would be investigaetd by a Royal Commission, the people would express their opinion, and his party would act. New Zealand could never become the country they strove to make it unless social cankers were removed. TAXATION REVISION. Several proposals for the revision of taxation were given in detail by Mr. Holland. He said that taxation was inequitably applied. With the objective of restoring individual independence and reducing the need for State payments, the National Party proposed to introduce a sliding scale of wages tax according to the size of the family, so that no man’s income would fall below a specified minimum adequate to maintain a family of that size. A?e benefits under Social Security paid" no tax, but thrifty people on lower incomes were very unjustly treated. Those people who had saved—public servants, superannuitants, and widows with legacies—could not get the age benefit, and in addition they were taxed for social and national security. In addition, income from small investments paid a 33 1-3 per cent penalty income tax, and he hoped to remove that some day. So as to encourage thrift and reward self-reliance, the party proposed the following taxation relief for persons sixty years of age: Incomes up to £3, no tax: up to £4, lOd in the £: up to £5 1/3 in the ■£; up to £6 and over, 2/6. in the £, as at present. A promise that hospital rating would be revised so as to remove present injustices was made by Mr. Holland. He said it was inequitable that a person might have a very large annual income and pay nothing by way of hospital rates, while another person who had even a small section of land found himself liable for the payment of hospital rates. This was quite unfair. The problem would be tackled in two stages. First, rating would revert to what it was i before the introduction of Social Se- ' curity. and subsequent increases would be taken off the land; and, i second, at a later stage he hoped that

all hospital rating would be removed from the land, both town and country. The existing income tax exemptions for families were inadequate. The present exemption of £5O for a wife and each child would be 'extended to £75, and the exemption for children would continue beyond the age of eighteen years, while they were learning and not earning. The injustice of the position by which a man earning £B, but receiving only £7 in his pay envelope, was taxed on the full amount of £B, would be removed as quickly as possible. Many farmers, manufacturers, and others affected found that, because of their inability to secure labour and materials for maintenance purposes on their farms and in their factories in a normal way, their nominal profits on which they were taxed had increased, requiring them to pay taxation on a false basis. To correct this injustice, the National Party would permit taxpayers to establish maintenance reserves which would be available for doing maintenance work when labour and supplies become available. These maintenance reserves would be deductable from the taxpayer’s assessable income. In view of the present state of the War Damage Insurance Fund and of the vastly improved war situation, War Damage Insurance would be discontinued, as he considered the present Fund was ample for the purpose. Servicemen returning to New Zealand- and setting up home found that the furniture they required was subject to 20 per cent sales tax. This would be rebated, and with a view to effecting a substantial reduction in the cost of house-building in New Zealand the National Party would remove the sales tax on building materials for new homes. HOUSING POLICY. Plans for a gigantic housingscheme. not only to catch up on the material requirements, but also as a major method of ensuring employment for all, were outlined by Mr. Holland, who advocated the freehold for all desiring it, and the finding of 90 per cent, of the necessary finance for ordinary citizens and 100 per cent., if necessary, for soldiers. Every tenant of a State rental house would be given the option of acquiring tne freehold of his house at a weekly rental, including interest, principal, maintenance, and rates, not exceeding the present rental, but those prefering to remain as State tenants would be free to do so. All the resources were available, because 95 per cent, of the materials used in home building were in New Zealand and the manpower and finance was all local. Housing costs -were too high; they could be reduced without cutting wages. Experts had presented reports showing that houses could be ouilt by private enterprise for £lOO less, and as the sales tax on building materials was to be abolished under the party’s policy, a reduction of £2OO on the cost of each house would result. WAR EXPENDITURE. Speaking of war expenditure, Mr. Holland said millions of pounds could be saved by an overhaul of the system. The Auditor-General’s report had disclosed deplorable conditions. More than half the war expenses were being met from loans, and soldiers would have to meet these costs when they returned'. It was also high time for an overhaul of Parliament. A total of 120 in the General Assembly was absurd. The Legislative Council now did nothing, and his party would reduce its numbers or abolish it. To attract the best men for the gigantic problems ahead, the remuneration of Parliamentarians would be revised and a superannuation scheme introduced. MANPOWER POSITION.

“Unquestionably we are over-com-mitted both militarily and industrially, and our manpower resources have been drained beyond all reason,” said Mr. Holland. “It is utterly impossible on our population to maintain two combat divisions overseas, the equivalent of two more divisions in the Air Force and Navy, and about another division on home defence, also to vastly increase our production from both farm and factory.” Mr. Holland stated that after such long service men on furlough should be siven the option of voluntarily returning to the Division or returning to civil employment. There were plenty of fit men in New Zealand who have seen no service who could replace them. In his opinion men with three children should not be sent overseas. Emphasising that he had consistently advocated the dropping of party politics so that the country could get on with the war, Mr. Holland said the National Party, if elected, would endeavour to form a truly national nonparty government of the best men regardless of party. There would be only three simple conditions —a full war effort in every field, no contentious legislation and no outside domination. “The National Party is determined to tackle the five giants of want, sickness, unemployment, squalor and ignorance,” said Mr. Holland. The party’s administration, he said, should be gauged not by the sick people in hospital, but by the healthy people out of hospital—not by the number of people on Social Security, but by the number w.ho were independent of State aid. The way to deal with unemployment was to organise jobs, for work was far better than the dole. The way to deal with sickness was to prevent it. Pensions and subsidies were insufficient. Health was far better than sick benefits, yet no major attack had been made on the causes of sickness. Sickness claims had increased from 17,800 in 1939-40 to 26,74.3 in 1942-43, and the average number of patients in hospital throughout 1942-43 was 19,450. The war has disclosed that New Zealand was a Class 2 nation. Of the 60,000 men who enlisted, 17,000 were unfit for service, and of the 233,000 called in ballots. 122.000 were Grade 1, and one-quarter of the total men examined were in Grades 3 and 4. A start would be made by the National Party in the schools. The proposal was to extend the Plunket system through the kindergarten stage and to strengthen the school medical system to provide for two examinations annually, also one X-ray examination annually. ■ A remedial treatment scheme would be introduced as soon as possible, and dental benefits were proposed under the Social Security Act. .'

At the end of the meeting, over which the Mayor (Mr. E. H. Andrews) presided, a motion of thanks was carried by acclamation, on the motion of Mr. W. S. Mac Gibbon. Mr. Mac Gibbon said that in view of the enthusiasm it was superfluous to include confidence in the motion. CHRISTCHURCH NORTH. The Democratic Soldier Labour Party candidate for the Christchurch North seat is Mr. J. H. Parry, a contractor, aged 49. Of pioneer Canterbury stock, Mir. Parry was educated at Christchurch West High School. He is president of the Wellington Central branch of the Democratic Labour Party. NOMINATIONS CLOSE SEPT. 9. Nominations of candidates for the General Elections on September 25 will close at noon on September 9. The day for nominations is fixed in the writs for the election, which were issued yesterdav. According to the Electoral Act, 1927, the latest day for nominations must not be less than

110 days or more than 17 days before {polling day. VOTING BY ARMED FORCES. WELLINGTON, August 31. Special voting facilities at the General Election are being provided for all members of the forces serving in New Zealand, and for those returned from service overseas. Personnel who have not served overseas must have attained the age of 21 years before voting, but those who have returned from service, overseas may vote irrespective of age. There will be polling booths in all service establishments, and votes may be cast at convenient times between the close of nominations and 7 p.m. on September 24, the day before election day. Votes of servicemen on furlough or leave may be cast at any post office during the same period. This will allow for votes of members of the forces to be counted, and the figures included in the General Election results on election night. < Servicemen who have not voted as specially provided may vote at. any polling booth on election day. A member of the forces may vote for the electoral district for which he is registered as an elector or, if not registered, then for the electoral district in which is situated his last residential address before being called for service. When voting, every member of the forces issued with a paybook must produce it for endorsement of the fact that he has voted. Any member of the forces not issued with a pay-book must produce a certificate from his commanding officer to the effect that to the best of the commanding officer’s knowledge and belief the member of the forces is entitled to vote.