Television Election Address by Mr C.F. Emeny, Country Party Candidate for Egmont, New Plymouth, Stratford and Waimarino

Ladies and gentlemen, you have listened to the election speeches of all the other parties, and you now know where we all stand. Stripped of political prattle, their programmes all add up to more Government spending, which in turn means more and more taxes, more and more inflation, more and more rising costs, and more and more bureaucratic interference in our lives. These programmes also add up to another typical scramble for votes, where everyone is offered something, at the expense of everyone else.

The New Zealand Country Party has been formed to offer those forgotten men and women of New Zealand who want to escape from this deceptive and destructive political circus the freedom to do so at the election. By voting Country Party, people can once again make a choice for government based on genuine free enterprise principles, based on wisdom and integrity, instead of being trapped into choosing between politicians and parties scrambling for votes and thereafter suffering government based on masses of bureaucratic regulations and restrictions.

Other parties accuse the Country Party of favouring narrow sectional interests. How wrong they are. These forgotten men and women, trapped in our political auction system, come from all occupations and places in New Zealand. Large numbers of our population long to escape from the unwelcome attention of ambitious meddling politicians and from the ever-growing army of Government officials, to which is increasingly being added the dangers to freedom from expanding private monopolies under the politician's misguided national development planning schemes.

Who are these forgotten people, suffering so badly under our present Government-run system?—thousands of highly productive farming families who will be driven off their land in the next few years through ever-increasing costs of production; costs generated by inflationary effects of our wasteful, bureaucratically-controlled economy. Added to their burden of costs are trading difficulties, caused mainly by years of severely restricted importing policies of the New Zealand Government. A prosperous agriculture is the true foundation of our whole economy. Only by bringing down the cost of production through more free enterprise in New Zealand, can they survive financially. Only by expanding freedom for competitive trading can their growing production be disposed of profitably abroad.

These principles, ladies and gentlemen, offer far more security than the nice promises of tough, ambitious politicians overseas. Many of our business and professional people are being severely restricted in what they can do for themselves and for their country. Plundered by severe taxation, cramped by masses of bureaucratic regulations, they are not permitted to give their best service to their customers. Government and private monopoly are closing in on them everywhere, squeezing out the freedom of small efficient businessmen to compete for consumer support. They ail urgently need more freedom of enterprise, freedom from financial control and freedom from trading restrictions. They also all need relief from high taxes, to make better use of their earnings than any government can ever do. The Country Party choice on their ballot paper is to help them demand these productive conditions in our affairs. Don't be afraid to use this extended freedom of choice at the election.

Many are the forgotten people in our labour force; those people who want to be free of the dictatorial power of compulsory trade unionism; men and women quite capable of peacefully arranging their own affairs, and standing on their own feet, in co-operation with their fellow-citizens in all fields. No one defends their freedom to be self-reliant individuals; to go quietly, productively, and peacefully about their work and their family life. Now, National plans to give unions the power to dismiss their own members, which can only end in union leaders denying people the right to work at their chosen occupations.

To help these people regain their personal freedom, the New Zealand Country Party has been formed. Throughout New Zealand, there are thousands of forgotten people who don't want to be wards of the State and the playthings of politicians in providing their health and retirement services. They prefer to spend their own money and be self-reliant, responsible people knowing they can always get better value than any state system can provide. All other parties are too busy taking people's money and telling them what to do with their lives. The Country Party choice has been placed on your ballot paper so these forgotten people can regain their freedom to be responsible for their own social and educational affairs again.

The Country Party wants reform of our labour system: first, to free our labour force from destructive and dictatorial power by a national referendum on total abolition of all forms of compulsory unionism. This gross infringement on basic human rights has no place in a free society. We view with deep concern National's proposals to allow unions to discipline their members. Widespread intimidation and victimisation is inevitable under such conditions. It will give union bosses the power to deny people the right to work at their chosen occupation. Wage-earners, beware of losing your freedom completely. National and Labour are handing your destiny over to union bosses. These will domineer your lives and jeopardise the security of your families for their own personal interest. Help us demand a referendum on abolishing compulsory unionism, and vote secretly for your own freedom while you still have the chance to do so.

These are merely some of our forgotten people who badly need a genuine free enterprise choice on their ballot paper, and the Country Party is here to do it for them all. The name of the man doesn't matter, it's the principles that we stand for which are most important. Have the courage to vote for true principles again. Don't let the polished political salesmen trap you in their game of party politics. Make your vote count for these principles again, and help to improve the standards of government for all New Zealanders.

Thank you for your interest in our efforts to defend the freedom of all New Zealanders, Goodnight.