POLITICAL OUTLOOK

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 61, 5 August 1965, Page 2

POLITICAL OUTLOOK

A claim that delays in the construction of the maximum security prison at Paremoremo had been due to the transfer of draftsmen originally engaged in drawing these plans to other projects, mainly university, has triggered off another "witchhunt" at Government Jevel. It is probable that what the Minister of Justice, Mr Hanan, meant, when he said that he had been unable to impress on his Cabinet colleagues the urgency of the Paremoremo gaol was simply this — that he had lost his precious draftsmen to other projects. This probability was strengthened during recent Parliament discussions on the riots by Mr Hanan's statement that the Works and Electricity Departments alone were short of 318 draftsmen. His words suggested that, instead of the shortage being one of money or building capacity, it was simply one of draftsmen. In the case of Paremoremo it couldn't have been either of the two. Firstly, the money voted for prison building has not been fully spent over the past five years; secondly, Paremoremo has not yet gone to tender I (nor will it, according to latest decisions). So — the priority and deferment system which already is causing so much heartburning is caused at least partly by a shortage of draftsmen. Jhe number needed would be about 400 urgently, quite a few more in the long run. A committee of businessmen which is working on urgent needs of industry generally will shortly ask the Government; "Why don't we go ont after the people we need? "Why don't we forget about the economists' halftruth that 'migration is inflationary'? Why can't the Government plan to meet any such contingency — and provide New Zealand with the draftsmen and other workers we need for progress " Mr Hanan and the Minister of Labour, Mr Shand, have spoken about attempts to attract draftsmen to New Zealand from the United Kingdom. A more concentrated effort may be ex- i peeted. Until we can import more draftsmen, or "roll our , own," this profession seems , to hold the key to defer- , ments, lost schedules, underspent estimates — and re- . tarded progress. . * * * Though Parliament mnst rise within 10 weeks or 1 so, it can still alford to waste time by throwing . away a day here and there j on fruitless discnssion. i This does not apply to the day and night spent debating j, the prison riots — indeed a 1 1 matter of public interest. ^ But the day following this , — last Wednesday — was an

example of time wasted on subjects destined to go no further. With the exception of an hour or so, the whole of the Parliamentary day was spent in discussing two matters brought forward by Mr Fraser (Opposition — St. Kilda). For more than two hours during the afternoon, members spoke on a motion by Mr Fraser asking that the resources of the Housing Council be enlisted to build units for aged people. No vote was taken, and the motion sank to the bottom of the Order Paper, where it will remain out of reach for the rest of the session. In the evening, the House debated for more than two hours Mr Fraser's Savings Banks (Cheques) Bill. Six members spoke, after which the Speaker (Sir Ronald Algie) stopped the, Bill from proceeding because of a requirement which all members knew before the Bill was even presented. The point is that in both cases Parliament was simply used as a broadcast-point of views on matters which it knew would not proceed. Couldn't this type of publicity he carried out by less expensive means? * * * Royal New Zealand Air Force authorities do not think mnch of the suggestion by the other services that they should follow the United States lead and buy a Coin (Counter-Insurg-ency) aircraft now being specially designed to cooperate with gronnd troops in the "brushfire" wars in South Vietnam and Malaysia. They regard the Coin aircraft as a luxury, and the possession of a long-range, hisdi-speed aerial striking force as an absolute necessity. The fact that the money needed to buy one supersonic strike - fighter such as the General Dynamics F-lll would equip a whole squadron of Convair Chargers is beside the point, they say. Air Force thinking is basicallv this: — The Coin aircraft and the "brnshfire" war are small stuff comnared with the world eonfliet which posses3ion of first-class hittirig power might help to avoid. If a foreign nower (let us sav Indonesia or even Ohina) knowc New Zealand and Australia has the capacitv to hurt in retaliation, it will hesitate before starting anvthing. Australia is weli on the wav to suendin^ 4*80 mPlion to rturcbase 48 Flll aircraft, which are about the latest thiug in fast, loog-rpn^e attack ulanes. If New Zeafar»d were to add another 24 r which on latest figures would cost a^o^t £30 milson) t1^-^ comhined striVfhgr Fn-rp would hp a fornudable '7eterrent to a^y threat.

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