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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 6, No. 12 September 23, 1943
National Party
National Party
| 1. | Work—and best possible working conditions. |
| 2. | Freedom—no licenses and form-filling, a point which of course would need to be waived under any efficient war-administration. |
| 3. | Government from the people up-wards, not from officialdom down-wards. (This against Trade Union influence.) |
| 4. | Private ownership of home and of the means of production, distribution and exchange. |
| 5. | Free enterprise and competition. |
| 6. | Industrial harmony—of worker-employer co-operation. Wishing to bridge the worker-employer gulf and return to personal relationship of last century. |
| 7. | A New Era for Youth.—This is fairly vague, but advocates the encouragement of moral and spiritual training and also physical training. |
| 8. | Improved conditions for farm workers. |
| 9. | Help for mothers and cheaper work-saving appliances for the home. |
| 10. | Rewards for thrift and self-reliance. |
Many of the points in this programme are desirable. Mr. Holland states his recognition of the necessity that everyone have "food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education." And finally, Mr. Holland states: "We will never allow another 1930-5 slump to happen in this country—that is definite and positive." This insistence of the progressive line of the National Party is disturbing—even if they pronounce themselves in favour of social security. Wasn't it this same Mr. Holland who called it "Social Insanity"? The National attitude to the slump does not unfortunately bear investigation. Mr. Holland states that every party in power was affected the world over by the last slump, and claims the sole rights to a new patent so that it won't happen again. This while he advocates laissez-faire in place of economic planning. The student of economics is not the only puzzled member of his audience. In general it seems that Mr. Holland wants to have his cake and eat it.
The most regrettable feature of this programme is that not one of its planks refer to the war. It is possible that Mr. Holland regards himself as parallel to Mr. Churchill. Mr. Churchill's "Freedom" is the old definition—the recognition of necessity. First of all, we must win the war.