PART OF DEMOCRACY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27078, 12 May 1949, Page 6

PART OF DEMOCRACY

SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM MR NASH ANSWERS CRITIC PA AUCKLAND, May 11. The view that social security in New Zealand might be a contributory factor towards defence was expressed by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, today. He was referring to the comment by Mr Harold Walsh, financial editor of the Los Angeles Times on the proportion of New Zealand’s taxation revenue used for social benefits. Mr Nash said Mr Walsh’s comment was of particular interest. “It may be,” Mr Nash stated, “ that Mr Walsh’s comparison with the sum expended in the United States on defence is correct. It could be noted that the proportion of fighters and expenditure by New Zealand in the recent war compared reasonably well with that of any other country.” Mr Nash added that it might also be pointed out that while the present annual costs of defence were not so apparent, during the years 1939-45 between £650,000 000 and £700.000 000 was spent by a country with a population of less than 2.000,000 in defence of democracy which, so far as New Zealand was concerned, included its social security system, it gradually being accepted throughout the democratic world that those who cannot care for themselves and whose disabilities are involuntary and beyond their control are entitled to the care of the collective body of the people This implies provisions for widows, older people and invalids by right of a share in the national wealth, which is one of the main principles of policy of the New Zealand Government.”