Candidates visit Waiouru

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 11, 11 August 1987, Page 5

Candidates visit Waiouru

In a public meeting held at Waiouru Community Centre _ last week National Candidate for Rangitikei Denis Marshali, was joined by candidate for Waitotara electorate, Venn Young. Denis Marshali spoke on matters relating to education, defence, voluntary unionism and foreign affairs. In question time there was an emphasis on law and order and policing generally and it was obvious that recent horrific crimes had heightened the topical nature of these matters at election time. Venn Young elaborated on the need for judges to take greater notice of the sentences already available as

maximums but which were rarely ever invoked. Pornography was the subject of a good deal of interchange between the candidates and the public, as was part-time policing and the need to better cope with the number of young offenders. It was suggested that it should be compulsory for all young people to be inducted into the services - army, navy, air force, fire, ambulance, etc for a finite period as a means of raising the standards of self discipline and personal responsibility - such as the scheme operating in Singapore. No guarantees were given by the candidates but the message was noted. Venn

Young remarked on the number of submissions made to the recent defence review committee regarding the compulsory military training aspect for young people and mentioned that this seemed to be an area that had fairly popular support with electors. In thanking the candidates for their attendance, meeting chairman, George MacLachlan, had a few comments of his own to make. He said he simply could not believe that the gap between the two main parties could be as great as 23% as one recent poll had indicated. A preoccupation with poll results had inured people to thinking that the result of the election was a foregone conclusion, he said. Mr MacLachlan went on to say the country would be ripe for a change in goverament in a pre-television age. He criticised the Labour government for high interest rates, unemployment, inflation and broken promises.