NO NATIONALISATION OF TRANSPORT IN NEW ZEALAND

Grey River Argus, 6 October 1948, Page 5

NO NATIONALISATION OF TRANSPORT IN NEW ZEALAND

Government’s Policy

P.A. NEW PLYMOUTH, Oct. 6. The nationalisation of the transport industry was not intended, the Minister of Transport, Hon. F. Hackett assured the annual conference of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance-, at New Plymouth to-night. He was replying to criticism of the Transport Law Amendment Bill, expressed in the annual report, and by speakers to the report. "There will always be room in our economy for pivate enterprise,” said the Minister. "My experience leads me to believe- that we will have private enterprise a lot longer than we thought we would have it ten years ago. The first object of the Government is to remain in power, and we are not keen to do things unless there is the chance of their being—a success; We are not going round the country nationalising or socialising industries just for the sake of nationalising or socialising.” He said that nationalisation would be resorted to where industries had power and were using it to stangle other industries. The Government had nationalised the airways and banks, and was nationalising mining. “I can tell you, in all good faith, that there is no fear and there is rib hope that the transport industry of this country will be nationalised in the lifetime of anyone in this room,” declared Mr Hackett. In the first place, it had not been represented to the Government that there was a need for the nationalisation of the industry.

“What is the good of taking over the transport industry this November and going - out through it next November?” he asked. “The Government has to be guided by what the people want. We have seen no signs of an organised body that is prepared to accept the responsibility of running the industry if the Government takes it over. Before nationalising anything, you must, at least, feel that the- peonle you intend handing the responsibility over to are capable of handling it efficiently.”