Election Year Thoughts

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30960, 17 January 1966, Page 1

Election Year Thoughts

“As this is election year, the people of New Zealand should be thinking seriously whether they are satisfied with the form of government they now have,” said the president of the Constitutional Society (Sir Matthew Oram) in a statement outlining some of the targets of the society for 1966. ‘Their first thoughts should be for the preservation of individual rights and the Hshment of safeguards to protect those rights, he said.

“Citizens should not wait to see what the political parties will offer in their election policies, but should set out early to create a climate of public opinion making clear the reforms they want. Too often election promises are bribes which turn out to be impractical or too expensive to be beneficial. ‘The most acute problem facing New Zealand today is the continuing serious drain on our overseas reserves. It is obvious that the country cannot maintain such heavy foreign expenditure without substantially increasing its I earnings from exports. ‘The only practical way to i do this quickly is to encourage I more farm production, but the greatest obstacle is discouraging taxation which in many

cases would leave farmers worse off when estate duties on top of punitive income tax on greater production are considered. This would seem to emphasise the need for taxation to be concentrated on spending rather than production. “Reforms in taxation are urgent for the good of the country and steps to review the system should be initiated now, and not left until after the election. “Another urgent need is for improvements in parliamentary procedures,” Sir Matthew Oram said. “Even the partyleaders appeared to become belatedly conscious • of public dissatisfaction last year, but it seems that no examination of the question is contemplated until next year and any

resulting reforms will have to wait for another year or two after that.

‘This leisurely approach is in distinct contrast to the scandalous haste with which the News Media Ownership Bill and other measures were passed last year. “Changes in parliamentary procedure will not in themselves provide more than a few of the safeguards New Zealanders should have, but they appear to be the most we can expect in the immediate present. “There should be greater public realisation of the vulnerable position of New Zealand citizens politically. The existing parties must be aware of the situation and they have a duty to remedy it,” said Oram. I