ELECTION CAMPAIGN OPENS IN TAUPO

Taupo Times, Volume III, Issue 144, 29 October 1954, Page 5

ELECTION CAMPAIGN OPENS IN TAUPO

MPv E. H HALSTEAD, M.P., PUTS NATIONAL PARTY CASE Taupo's first public meeting in the election campaign was held in Rickit's Hall on, Monday night last, when the National Party's case was outlined by Mr E. H. Halstead, member for Tamaki. Mr Percy Allen, National candidate for the Rotorua Electorate, was also present. The Mayor, Mr J. E. Story, was in the chair, and an audience of seventy gave the speakers a quiet hearing, there being no interjections. Following a short outline by Mr Allen of the National Party's history, Mr Halstead prefaced his address by saying that after looking round Taupo he thought the town needed some Government help and he hoped it would get a National Party member who would sweep away red tape and get more financial assistance. He instanced the good work done by the Bowling Club and the Golf Club, mentioning that the former needed a water supply from the Lake. "These things can be fixed easily," said Mr Halstead, "if you have a live member." Laughter followed the speaker's request not to be asked his views on the Wairakei-Putaruru highway. He had very definite views on this, having travelled over it that day, but was reserving them for Mr Goosman.

Referring to the Anzus Treaty, Mr Halstead said that for the first time New Zealand had a guarantee that the United States would come to its assistance, but its ties with Britain and the Commonwealth had not weakened. In regard to Social Credit the speaker remarked that a critic of that policy had said that "if Social

Credit worked we need never work." He claimed that the Social Credit policy was an accountancy fallacy, and that a Social Credit Government, if it followed Social Credit policy, which no such Government had yet done, could destroy the people's savings overnight. The Labour policy was described as being full of vagueness and plagiarism. It was a Santa Claus programme, and Mr Nash's programme of additional benefits, subsidies and mortgage reduction scheme would cost sixty millions. Many things promisecL by Mr Nash had been already promised by the National Party and plagiarised by Mr ISTash.

The National Government had reduced taxation by forty million pounds per annum, and the national income had expanded by £250 million. The Labour Party said it was a cost of living election, but the speaker said that while the the cost of living had risen forty per cent in the Government's term, due to outside influences, wages had risen fifty per cent and even Mr Walsh had stated that wages

were more effective in December last than at any other period in the country's history. Today everybody had a share of the cake. The National Party policy was focussed on the future, and they were not worrying like the Labour Party about the old grey mare of, the past. The population would increase by one million in the next twenty years, fifty thousand a year, and to meet the challenge the Government party believed in giving men with brains, ambition and drive the chance to get on with the; country's work. The people, said the speaker, felt they had a fair Government and a firm Government. No workers wanted to be pushed around by militant union secretaries. He appealed to his audience to think over the Government's record and to support the National Party candidate, Mr Percy Allen. (Applause). A hearty vote of thanks to the speaker, moved by Mr A. A. Hastings and seconded by Mr W. G. Morris, was carried with acclamation.