What The National Party Would Do

Chronicle (Levin), 31 August 1949, Page 3

What The National Party Would Do

— : ♦ WELLINGTON, August 30. Replying to requests from Govemmexit speakers to state how the National Party would reduce taxation if it became Government, Mr R. G. Gerard, Ashburton, said in the House of Representatives that if business methods were brought into the Government" ways would be found to reduce expenditure. He oriticised the expenditure on departmental travelling and add^d that a lot of people were "more or less joyriding" in Government vehicles which in 1947 numbered 118G, the foliowing year 1247 and in 1949 totalled 1405. Money was being wasted in a "politieal information department. ' ' Replying to a further interjection, ,Mr Gerard said: "We are not going to follow the example of the British Government. No oue who is doing a gooc job has anything to fear but some of the p.olitical appointees have reason to." Miss Howard suggested that the National Party would "make room for your own" if it was returned, to which Mr Gerard replied that the Labour Government had shown it could look after its own but there would uot be mucli chance of the National Party. doing that beeause there would be no rejects at tlie elections. Mr Gerard congidered that expenditure in Government offices overseas was too high and that stalfs were being built up at the expense of the taxpayers. He said he would sack the Minister to Moscow. "The Socialist Government is unable to give a lead to the community and if it can't give a lead it should give way to auother Government which will, " he said. Later in the debate Mr. R. M. Algie (Remuera) said taxation was too heavy to be kept indeiinitcly at present levels. Public money was being wasted on publicity, on the national film unit, on overseas embassies, on the operations of the Marketing Department, on the buying of an hotel in London and in other ways. Taxation should not be reduced merely for the sake of doing so but to curb the present inflation to stimulate production and to encourage saving. The British Bocialist Government had an unenviable reeord of wasting money since it took office and its policies were a major eontributing cause to the present economic crisis. Passing It On. Mr. F. Langstone (Roskill) said there was right and wrong taxation. There were forms of taxation which were passed on to the people and which increased the cost of living but some taxation, sueh as death duties and land tax, were not passed on. There would ('oino a day when the taxation system would have to be reorieutated so that it could not be passed on. He said there was no justilication for a system of taxation which was forcing up the cost of living all the time and he was op'posed to indirect taxation at the point at which it was imposed. Mr. Langstone. said he was coucerned about the honesty^ of- our monetary system. There was an urgeiit ne.ed iu New Zealand for a proper •sciehtilic, economic and social resehrch bureau fp examine all factors wkicjh in^.ete upv t^ie price level, in order to put prh-es on.ia sound basis. This must be done if we were to have ai . staljiilised ecopomy which we did notihfj-ve.at present.-: . Mr. Langstone !sRvd th'ht sur^ly, jj^tlk

all- the knowledg'e we had acquired, we could sqlve New Zealand 's economic problemg without cr.Kitaiig turmoil and trouble- :v-liich could' ;bej avoided if we had a saneland sensib'le'iinancial policy operating in the country. * Mr. Langstone- rqsumed his seat ^ith the; comniept: front |Mr. Gerard: ' ' Wliere Us. fili^ . : , -