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Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 5. March 26 1979

Knowing the Public, Fooling the Public

Knowing the Public, Fooling the Public

What made it worse was that Muldoon chose on several occasions to hide behind the claim that the public knows what is going on. Referring specifically to Broadcasting, he stated that the great majority of his correspondence suggested that the public preferred a one channel system to heavy increases in the license fee.

Now we are not faced with the simple choice as Muldoon was attempting to suggest. Even Ian Cross would be quick to point this out. The PM went on to suggest, in spite of what the ratings tell us, that the public wants TV2, not TV1.

The irony here is that later in the interview he accused the Labour Party of "trying to follow public reaction rather than trying to lead it". The last thing we need is a television service run in accordance with the wishes of people who like patting Rob Muldoon on the back. When it suits him, the public's demands must, in accordance with the sacred principles of democracy, be complied with.

When it suits him. Even Muldoon cannot ignore the fact that a large section of the New Zealand populations is protesting strongly at Government actions. When this happens however, his response is somewhat different: "... in many cases, their (people's) first reaction may not be the best". He is referring here to industrial matters, about which he considers "people take longer to make up their minds". What he seems to overlook is that people are naturally going to be more resistant to policies that they know hit them in the pockets. Underlying his belief that eventually we will come round to his Government's way of thinking is the muted implication that vocal opposition is going to be smashed.

Photo of Robert Muldoon frowning

On Broadcasting itself, he ominously informs is that "we might be able to suggest" the TV1 people come round to his Government's way of thinking. Broadcasting, as we all know, is one of the fields of so-called independence that comes under the greatest Government control already.