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Salient: An Organ of Student Opinion At Victoria University College, Wellington, N. Z. Vol. 24, No. 4. 1961

Three Tasks for Radicals

Three Tasks for Radicals

There are three main tasks for a reformed Labour Party in the Sixties.

The first is the unceasing need (" . . . but my dear some of these navvies get more than a schoolteacher does." In that case, lady, you raise both their salaries) for a higher standard of living. Within the country this should be done mainly through increasing the public sector of the economy, and increased control of that large private sector (shops, small businesses and so on) which cannot efficiently be nationalised. High taxation should be used only for levelling incomes—to a certain extent—and not as a primary source of Government funds. The Public Service, with its increased responsibilities, would have to submit to drastic and continuing reform; and wherever possible employees should be displaced or complemented by the mechanical and electronic equipment that will handle probably an increasing amount of the drudgery of administration.

Presumably the progress of production in the U.S.S.R. has disposed of the myth that nationalised Industry is a mass of tapetied inefficiency, quite unable to compete with keen, peppy, private enterprise, which is engaged in a constant cut-throat battle for lower costs. It is true that there are many Soviet methods of producing efficiency that we would scarcely care to use. But on the other hand we are starting off in much more favourable economic conditions, and we do not have Churchill and Woodrow Wilson trying to wipe us out.

As noted, we continue in these favourable conditions by favour of our Asian neighbours, and that ominous protector Polaris. It is desirable both from practical and humanitarian points of view, that we should spend rather more of our national income in Asia.

And speaking of Asia, the second concern of a radical party is international. Like, I use quite a bit of air in a normal day, and I prefer it clean. No little black specks, huh? (So you're tired of hearing about the Bomb. Me, I'm just tired of having it around). Clearly, any government not quite so willing to stand up and be counted as Hollyhock and Co. would take us out of this infant's game of Free World versus Communists. (Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, etc., against the Rest.) Our place is with India and the uncommitted nations—and this waiting gets on my nerves.

The third item is much more general. Simply, it is a demand that a radical, left-wing party should make some attempt to combat the endemic conservative reaction which comes with affluent times. In New Zealand it is incredible what our liberals will take. Just at random—Holland's fences Act., the censorship of strike breaking, the Police Of-books, our record in U.N., the attack on food subsidies, and now, if you please, our good Judges want the birch. (Consider our juvenile delinquency. Perhaps by birching we could bring it down to the level of the Ngalia tribesmen, was it? I think they have less than we do.) Perhaps these legal men have minds of high juristic excellence. Perhaps their ductless glands are hypertrophied. Both possibilities should be mentioned.

Do our V.U.W. executive members use bad language when discussions become heated? "Exec. Notes" of "Craccum Reporter" reads: "Executive should be less hasty In their criticisms. In spite of adequate chairing, Exec, meeting was lax. Bad language is unnecessary; and a portable radio—on—was the last straw."