LABOUR HERITAGE
A 100-year-old Labour Party can stand proud. Under the inspired leadership of men like Michael Savage, Peter Fraser and David Lange, Roger Douglas and Richard Prebble, it had the political courage and the vision to implement the great reforms of recent political history. By introducing the welfare state and the guaranteed price for milk-fat, the Savage Government saved the country from the ravages of the Great Depression.
The Fraser government deepened the welfare state and guided New Zealand through the looming financial crisis of the Second World War.
Under the inspired LangeDouglas-Prebble leadership of the fourth Labour Government, the country was saved from bankruptcy, reversed the ‘‘fortress New Zealand’’ of the Muldoon-led National Government, and laid the foundation for today’s prosperity. National governments can claim no such record. National is a party that has always lacked political courage and vision; steady as she goes; don’t rock the boat; tinker at the margin; stay in power no matter. We need major reform of education; the RMA remains an obstacle to growth; the housing crisis needs a capital gains tax; current health and pension costs cannot be sustained.
These, among others, offer opportunity for Labour to show the courage and vision of the past.
– Vince Ashworth I would like to say thank you to all of the people who helped at the SuperGold Card meeting held in Cambridge on Thursday July 23. Thank you to Faye Ghons, Val Taylor and Barry Fergusson, Frank Blackler, Loren Bennet at the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, the Young Leos for putting the chairs out, Kay Hale from Newstalk ZB for all the promotion, and Viv Posselt and Emma James from the Cambridge Edition for assisting in publicity. Thank you to Tim Bryers for making the trip to talk to us, all of the new businesses who joined the SuperGold Card scheme, and the community who attended. People came from Matamata, Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti and Tauranga.
- Florence Shearman event organiser