THE NEW DIMENSION. SOCIAL CREDIT POLICY 1975  INTRODUCTION.  This year the Social Credit Political League offers you the most comprehensive and innovative policy in its political history for your consideration. The policy contained in the following pages breaks new ground in many areas, especially in industrial relations, environment, energy conservation, law reform, education and health. It provides the solutions to many of the problems that beset the country today. The League is in the political field because it sees so many people being hurt by an unjust system which promotes profiteering ahead of the quality of individual living. It sees many unhealthy trends developing which respective Governments are unable or unwilling to do anything about. New Zealand is running out of time. Our independence is being forfeited for little return as our nation and heritage falls increasingly into the hands of overseas interests. Widespread discontent, concern and frustration has already changed one Government in the last three years and now, a mere three years later, many thousands of New Zealanders are again disturbed at the trend and direction our country is taking. The stability of the work force is being disrupted, the environment is being polluted and our security and freedom threatened by heavy-handed bureaucracy and increasing Government interference in our daily lives. Our health services are becoming less efficient and the cost of living continues to rise unchecked. This sense of frustration can only be dispelled if the proposals contained in The New Dimension are taken to the floor of parliament by Social Credit members who will place the welfare of ordinary New Zealanders well and truly above the political good of the party machine-type politics which is costing us all so dearly.  SOCIAL CREDIT IS DIFFERENT.  Social Credit therefore offers New Zealand a different political philosophy and a different economic system. Its philosophy is not that of State control of the masses nor that of monopoly control and the treatment of human beings as computer fodder. Social Credit believes in true individual and co-operative enterprise, in structuring a society in which people can have the maximum degree of individual freedom to lead the fullest possible life. Government should serve people not dominate them. Social Credit sets its face against racial discrimination, financial dictatorship, monopoly growth, foreign take-overs, political expediency and usury. It strongly supports the need for a new local democracy, a more just distribution of wealth, a decentralization of power, authority and responsibility; sovereign independence as a nation, the establishment of balanced communities, recycling of wastes and equality of opportunity. Our purpose is to build a new society in New Zealand which meets the needs and aspirations of everybody as individuals. In this task the New Zealand Social Credit Political League does not support sectional interests nor is it supported by a particular section or vested pressure group. It democratically represents a cross-section of New Zealand society.  NEW ZEALAND FOR NEW ZEALANDERS. Social Credit wants New Zealand industry, land and farms to be owned and controlled by the people who actually produce New Zealand's wealth. We do not want production for its own sake but sufficient production so that our policies can become reality, so that more finance can be channelled into socially desirable areas. It is a basic Social Credit idea that money should be backed by the wealth produced by people. In this we are opposed to the present 'reserves' monetary system which is a legacy from the days when New Zealand was an economic colony attached to Great Britain. We cannot be masters of our own destiny whilst we adhere to a monetary system which relates our internal money supply to fictitious reserves instead of our own production.  A REAL CHANGE : THE ANSWER TO INFLATION. The real barrier to achieving true humanitarian progress is an outdated economic system, a system which promotes inflation and its associated unethical practices. People are hurt, especially those on fixed incomes. Many housewives are forced to go out to work to make ends meet. Small businessmen and farmers are forced out because of rising costs and falling incomes. Young people find it more and more difficult to buy a house. The dollar buys less every day. The value of savings cannot keep up. Prices continually rise, monopolies thrive, rates increase out of all proportion. And we all seem to be working harder and harder just in order to hold on to what we've managed to gain. Social Credit believes it has the answer to inflation and rising costs and prices. The financial policy contained in this document is but part of the answer. A number of 'reserve' policies, not contained in the manifesto, will be announced by the Leaders during the campaign itself, especially those concerned with guaranteeing savings from the effects of inflation. The figures connected with various policy points will also be announced during the campaign. At the present time we have an economy which is loaded with debt and taxes and caught in the grip of the cost-price spiral. It is the compounding interest charges on mounting personal, company, national and international debt which is the root cause of rising prices. It is these same crippling interest charges, paid mainly to the financial sector of intermediaries, which are destroying the capacity of our economy to produce the goods and services required to even maintain the quantity and quality of living. We see that it is the private creation and release of credit for profit, or the trading in money as a commodity, which is denying New Zealanders the means of building a better country. Social Credit wishes to reform our dishonest and outdated system so that it serves everybody and allows us to implement our policies without either inflation or deflation. So the financial proposals outlined are a mechanism or the means to an end. The Social Credit League is proud to offer you a real choice of government in all facets of life, ramparts on which to build a new and better society based on social justice, security and individual freedom. This policy is in accord with the democratic will of those New Zealanders who are members of the Social Credit Political League: it is the result of decisions made at annual Conferences of the League, not what the League's politicians have devised. It is a policy for New Zealanders and the Social Credit League has meaning only if it can serve people and allow them to build the country they want. It provides A New Dimension in New Zealand politics. Note: All new policy, that is, policy passed at Conferences since the 1972 General Election, is printed in heavy type.  TENETS OF SOCIAL CREDIT. OUR PRINCIPLES:  (a) Our basic principle is the establishment of an economic and social order built on the foundation of brotherly love, truth, justice and honest endeavour.  (b) We believe that what is physically possible and desirable for the betterment of mankind should be made financially possible. We believe that the individual is more important than the state and that systems should be made for people, not people for systems.  (c) We believe that restrictive forms of political and financial dictatorship, monopoly and bureaucracy should be strenuously opposed.  (d) We believe in competitive, individual and co-operative enterprise and that state-owned business should conform to the same conditions as privately-owned concerns. We believe that the function of Government is to set fair rules.  (e) We believe that the only proper purpose of production is consumption and that labour saving is the proper purpose of labour-saving inventions.  (f) We believe that the first necessity in establishing our principles is to reform our present un-Christian monetary system which is dishonest and unjust and is the basic cause of many other evils.  OUR PURPOSE:  (a) To secure to the people of New Zealand the beneficial use and control of their own credit and currency.  (b) To establish an economy where the people will be able to develop and expand the country's real wealth without mortgaging their own and their children's future.  (c) To restore and stabilize the purchasing power of money, thereby enhancing and protecting the value of wages, pensions and savings.  (d) To encourage the introduction of all forms of automation, thereby increasing production and the standard of living.  (e) To encourage skill in all fields of endeavour by ensuring that skill is justly rewarded.  (f) To promote the speedy introduction of laboursaving devices, both industrial and domestic.  (g) To ensure that, in an age of increasing automation with machines progressively taking over the work of more and more men, incomes will nevertheless be maintained so that all may share in the benefits of automation.  (h) To increase the opportunity for engaging in, and facilities available for, educational, cultural and recreational activities.  (i) To recover complete control of New Zealand's economic affairs and establish greater political independence.  The principles are expressed in more detail in the pamphlet ‘What We Stand For’.  AGRICULTURE. A Social Credit Government will direct its farming policy towards security of tenure, promoting further development and settlement, assisting with the control of erosion, and ensuring the necessary incentives for further production by:  - Stabilising costs.  - Reducing taxation.  - Ensuring finance at reasonable rates of interest.  - Providing adequate services for the rural community.  Social Credit's Primary Production policy recognises that farming is a business as well as a way of life and that the business of a farmer is to produce to the limit of which his farm is capable, compatible with good farming, and having done so, he has the right to expect that the prices he receives for his products bear a similar relationship to prices of those things he has to buy for which his product is traded. Social Credit would assure the farmer of his cost of production, including a reasonable profit and thus high production and real efficiency would go hand in hand with a just reward for his efforts, while the farmer's standard of living would be determined only by his efficiency as a farmer. Social Credit recognises that each country should specialise in the commodity in which it has a comparative advantage (greatest relative efficiency) and export its surplus of the product for imports from abroad with trading preference to countries operating the same principle.  1. PRODUCE PRICES. Social Credit will pay the farmers for the exchange earned by primary products at its internal cost expressed in NZ dollars. The Dairy Industry Act and the Reserve Bank Act will be amended to provide for the purchase of the exchange earned, at a variable premium. A Court of Price Review will be set up as a judicial body. This will decide on the variable premium on the exchange earned by the industry. The basic price for primary produce will be arrived at according to the following criteria, aiming to:  (1) Provide the average efficient farmer with a good standard of living.  (2) Enable farmers to pay competitive rates of pay.  (3) Allow them reasonable interest on capital invested in their farms and stock.  (4) Enable them to meet all costs, including any tariffs.  (5) Allow them a remuneration commensurate with the services they render and with that obtained by other members of the community who render equal service.  (6) Preserve the capital invested in the land.  (7) Stimulate the full use of the land.  (8) Maintain the stability and efficiency of the industry in the national interest.  2. MARKETING OF OUR MAJOR EXPORTS. New Zealand's prosperity depends to a large extent on the successful marketing of our surplus primary produce. The Dairy Board and the Apple and Pear Board are well organised for this purpose. Both operate on a co-operate basis and are responsible for the marketing of their own produce. The same policy would be offered to other primary producing industries.  3. FINANCE. Finance through all Government agencies, for example the Rural Banking Corporation, for purchase and development and the Lands and Survey Department for marginal lands and civilian settlement will be at no more than 3 per cent interest.  4. PRODUCER POOL ACCOUNT. Funds in Producer Pool Accounts will become trust funds, administered by the industry.  5. CO-OPERATIVES. The extension of co-operatives will be encouraged, and all profits made by them will be exempt from company taxation. Profits distributed to the producers, however, will be assessable income in their hands.  6. PRODUCTION INCENTIVES. Increases in production (basic production to be the average of the preceding three years) will be tax free.  7. LAND DEVELOPMENT. All Crown land, together with Maori land, that is being developed for farming purposes will be under a Corporation to be formed from the present Land Development Branch of the Lands and Survey Department. No land suitable for development and subdivision will be declined for purchase on the pretext of lack of finance. The present policy of land development will be pursued with vigour, and farm units will be made available for settlement as soon as they are physically ready, as was the case with the settlement of ex-servicemen.  8. FARM OWNERSHIP.  (a) Social Credit believes in the principles of private individual ownership of our New Zealand farmland.  (b) For all economic farm units the present loopholes in the Land Aggregation Act that allow company farming or purchase of land by non-farming interests will be closed. A five-year compulsory residence clause will apply to the purchase or lease of all economic farm units.  (c) It will be the objective of a Social Credit Government by reducing and ultimately stabilising costs, to ensure that farm holdings remain economic units from one generation to the next, and thus protect the individual's equity In the land.  9. FARM PURCHASE SCHEME. To make the future purchase of farm units possible for our young farm workers, a New Zealand-wide scheme whereby suitable farm units are purchased and set aside for short-term leasing to intending farm owners which will enable them to gain the necessary experience and capital, will be implemented by a Social Credit Government. Interested primary Industries or farming organisations would be encouraged to run these or similar schemes with Government assistance and financial help. As they become available bigger farms will be purchased and broken into smaller economic units under this scheme. The basic plan is for:  (a) The setting up in the initial stage of at least 100 such leasehold units each year over a three-year period.  (b) All units to be average economic units.  (c) Lease for 7 years or less at low rental with usual district terms and conditions.  (d) Special low deposit 3 per cent interest loans for stock and chattel purchase.  (e) No restriction on who may apply but 5 years' farming experience desirable. Applicants will be selected for ballots by the land settlement committee.  (f) On termination of lease or sooner applicants  would have:  (i) Right of purchase at valuation from commencement date of lease.  (ii) Or the right to eligibility for ballots under the Social Credit land settlement policy for other units of their choice.  10. LAND SETTLEMENT. Greater emphasis will be placed on settlement, as we believe that the most efficient farmer is the owner-occupier. The immediate objective will be to ballot at least 100 units per annum. No restrictions will be placed on who may apply, and from these applicants will be selected those eligible for ballots, as decided by the Land Settlement Committees, with up to 100 per cent finance. Values placed on the units being offered for ballot will have due regard to the productive capacity of the unit, and will not be fixed entirely on comparative sales. In order to protect the Crown against possible speculation, settlement units offered for sale within 7 years must be re-offered to the Crown, which will pay due compensation for all improvements effected up to the time of sale.  IRRIGATION.  (a) The use of finance at administrative cost for the establishment of irrigation schemes will apply.  (b) Where irrigation can be shown to offer substantial benefits, farmers will be given the opportunity to establish such a scheme subject to at least 60 per cent of the occupiers accepting a rating charge to cover operating costs.  (c) Full engineering, agricultural and economic investigations will be undertaken before any scheme is commenced.  (d) Subject to the foregoing conditions, such schemes will be proceeded with immediately men, machines and materials are available.  (e) Loan repayments will be at the rate of 1 per cent for the first year, rising yearly by half of 1 per cent until a maximum of 5 per cent annum is reached.  12. FARM HOUSING. Where a new house is built for occupation by the farmer himself, and the existing house is suitable for occupation by, and is in fact used to house a farm employee, the new house will qualify for initial or special depreciation up to a maximum of $18000.  13. CAPITAL STOCK. Farmers will be given the right to choose between the present system of standard values for livestock, whereby all stock is trading stock, and a system whereby capital stock is treated as such, and only trading stock is taken into account in arriving at the taxable income. No additional tax will be incurred in making the changeover.  14. DEATH DUTIES. Social Credit believes that farms and small family businesses must be able to be passed on to immediate members of the family without undue hardship. Death duties will be relieved on estates up to a value to be disclosed later in the campaign. A further death within a period of seven years will not entail further duties.  15. FARM EMPLOYEES' TAXATION. To encourage farm workers, the same taxation deductions as allowed to farmers will apply, that is, maintenance of their own gear and animals, car depreciation, and telephone rental if not paid by the owner.  16. RESERVE ACCOUNTS. All farmers will be given the opportunity to voluntarily establish reserve accounts to cover disaster due to natural phenomena and not otherwise insurable, similar to the Snow Loss Reserve legislation.  17. RURAL HOUSING. We shall expedite the building of accommodation in country areas and rural towns (see also under Regional Development and Housing).  18. LAND VALUATION. The present system of land valuation serves no useful purpose other than as a basis for assessing rates, and will therefore be discontinued. (See also policy on Natural Resources and Land Administration).  19. SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY. The establishment of a sugar beet industry in New Zealand will be investigated by a Social Credit Government.  20. FARM ADVISORY SERVICES. The Farm Improvement Club concept of advisory services will be fostered and assisted.  21. STOCK DISEASE CONTROL. The skills of fully qualified veterinarians must at all times be utilised to the full in the sphere of disease prevention and control.  22. NOXIOUS WEEDS. New Zealand cannot afford the continuing loss of private and public land to noxious weeds. Eradication, or at least control, will be pursued with the utmost vigour on all land, whether publicly or privately owned. Where private individuals cannot stand the cost of this, the finance will be made available interest-free as a charge against the property.  23. RATING. See Local Government and the Appendix.  24. PESTICIDES. See Environment 6(e) and 20.  BROADCASTING. Spokesman : GEORGE BRYANT. Social Credit considers that the influence of TV and radio on the opinion making process in the community is so great that it is undesirable to leave the control entirely in the hands of any small group. Social Credit is concerned that there is a great increase in top-heavy establishments created for the new corporations. The cost must be met from some source and since advertising revenue varies according to the economic climate, this must inevitably come from the public purse via taxation.  1. RIGHT OF APPEAL. Any Society, person or persons alleging biased or unfair treatment in the allocation of radio or television time will have a right of appeal to the Administrative Division of the Supreme Court.  2. MINISTER OF BROADCASTING. Social Credit will re-establish a Minister of Broadcasting so that questions can again be asked in Parliament about the programmes, control, expenditure or any other aspect of broadcasting.  3. BROADCASTING TRUSTS. Broadcasting Coverage Regions will be set up as a pre-requisite of the setting up of elected Broadcasting Trusts. A New Zealand Broadcasting Trust will co-ordinate trust programmes and will comprise representatives from every Regional Trust.  4. LOW-POWER COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS. Social Credit will encourage the development of low power community radio stations operated by community trusts, with a warrant for 10 years subject to renewal following evidence of ample local support and adherence to recognized standards of presentation and transmission.  5. PRIVATE RADIO STATIONS. Private radio stations will have renewable 10 year licences with a cancellation clause for improper operation. Any licences forfeited would be operated by the B.C.N.Z. until an application for re-issue to a private or community organization was approved by the minister.  6. PENSIONERS' LICENCE FEES. Those in receipt of age or 100 per cent disability pensions will be exempted from the purchase of a television receiving licence.  7. EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION (See Education Policy).  8. EXTERNAL BROADCASTS. Radio N.Z. will be increased in power to permit the presentation of N.Z. to all countries bordering the Pacific Basin, and the adequacy of this single service will be examined in the light of N.Z.'s developing interests in the U.S.A. and in South East Asia.  DEFENCE. Spokesman : JEREMY DWYER. TRADE AND AID (See also Foreign Affairs). A Social Credit Government will regard trade and aid as the most effective defence weapons, and will promote trade with other nations of S.E. Asia using a system of reciprocal credits.  ECONOMIC FRICTION. We look forward to a time when New Zealand's Social Credit economy will be emulated by other countries, this having the effect of removing much of the economic cause to international frictions. These frictions make necessary the maintenance of expensive armed forces which constitute a drain on the capacity of each nation to produce for the betterment rather than the destruction of our fellow men. In this unsettled world we recognise the need to maintain adequate armed forces to help in preserving NZ's sovereignty and to meet its responsibilities where these do not infringe the rights to freedom and security of other nations.  1. EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING. New Zealand's armed forces will be supplied with modern equipment which will be kept up to date. Close liaison will be maintained with our allies in seeking standardisation of equipment and training.  2. ARMY. The Army will consist of a highly trained force of adequate size, capable of rapid expansion by increased recruitment to meet any need which may arise.  3. AIR FORCE. The Royal New Zealand Air Force will continue to operate in its combat, ground support, transport and maritime roles, and updating of aircraft and equipment will be maintained to ensure peak efficiency.  4. NAVY. The present force of frigates will be phased out and replaced by a force of high-speed missile equipped, ocean-going patrol boats, e.g. British Tenacity class. This casts the Navy into an offshore support role to the other services. These boats will be very suitable for the fisheries protection service.  5. SERVICE PERSONNEL. Conditions for ail service personnel will be re-examined and made more attractive where required in all aspects from enlistment to rehabilitation to civilian life.  6. CIVIL DEFENCE AND RELIEF WORK. Recent history has highlighted the vital nature of the role to be played by the Civil Defence organization. We shall ensure that this organization is developed and strengthened so that it may move quickly and efficiently whenever the need arises. We shall continue to have local organizations administered by local bodies and we shall reimburse them their administrative costs which are at present an added burden to their already strained finances. The armed forces will play a greater part in civil defence and relief work in New Zealand and also in the Pacific and S.E. Asian areas.  EDUCATION. Education should be one of the most vital, most expensive and most extensive concerns of Government. It is of supreme importance to the whole well being of every New Zealander. Therefore a Social Credit Government will aim at all times for only that which is excellent. Social Credit policy is based on a firm philosophy not the socialist concept of "state" or the capitalist abstraction "Business", and the education of students for the big economic machine, but an education based on developing the individual student's creativeness and uniqueness. We will promote a "national" (rather than "state") system of education in which variety and diversity of educational establishments will be fostered, a system which welcomes adequately-evaluated experimentation. We regard the trend towards a monolithic state system and the policy of absorbing every independent school into it as both extremely unfortunate and politically dangerous. We believe in the "participant" society at all levels and will educate people not only to develop their own potential to the fullest but to co-operate fully with others. Therefore, we will foster the development of the wholesome family unit and a sense of community. This calls for a greater involvement of the public in education at the local level and also an opening-up of all educational institutions to them. Our policy is designed to promote the following:  - Religious and racial tolerance, understanding and respect: we must educate for a multi-racial society and for cultural diversity.  - Decentralization of administration, authority and responsibility.  - Equality of opportunity for all.  - Education of the whole person: education is to be seen as a humanising force, we must educate for all-round development and not for the production of "computer digits". People should achieve satisfaction from their education and be able to adapt to changing circumstances. Thus there should be a greater emphasis on education for self-development, social conscience and for meaning and purpose, in an age of rapid change.  - Education in social skills and interpersonal relationships.  - Continuing education from infancy to old age.  - Education for living and the future, as well as for training in essential skills.  WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM. Social Credit holds education next in importance to monetary reform. We shall substantially increase the proportion of national resources allocated to education. Top priority will be given to upgrading state schools but no Government can do this effectively unless it halts inflation. The massive increasing of taxation or raising of internal loans are no answer for both will only increase costs and prices. In the last few years inflation has completely outstripped the increase in education expenditure. Therefore Social Credit will:  (a) Accord education a higher priority in budget expenditure.  (b) Stabilise costs in the community and halt erosion of grants.  (c) Reduce debt servicing.  (d) Increase the money supply in proper balance with production.  (e) Use public credit where appropriate.  (f) Hire out school facilities.  (g) Give incentives for business sponsorships, and  (h) Improve administrative efficiency.  1. TEACHERS. We will focus our attention on three major areas in order to improve the quality of teaching: (i) the recognition of teachers as professionals rather than as state servants (ii) teacher training and the need for adequate provision of in-service courses to aid teachers in keeping abreast of rapid changes in curricula (iii) specialist services.  (a) STATUS. A Social Credit Government will make possible the attempts of the teaching profession to achieve true professional status by granting it the right, by register, to determine who shall be eligible to enter and by a code of ethics, to decide who shall be deregistered, provided that a right of appeal shall be established.  (b) FEDERATION. We shall establish a New Zealand Teachers' Federation (not union) with suitable safeguards for minority groups and viewpoints and residual powers for the various federated bodies, including student teacher bodies, so they retain their identity.  (c) SALARIES. We shall negotiate immediately with bodies representative of the profession salary scales acceptable to the profession, the community and the Government, in tune with an order of priorities in education itself, but always mindful of the place that education holds in the Social Credit concept of the priorities of government.  (d) TEACHER'S CERTIFICATE. A trained teacher's certificate will be accorded a higher qualification status in salary scales.  (e) BOOK ALLOWANCES. The purchase of books used in one's trade or profession will be re-instituted as deductible for income tax purposes.  (f) LOANS FOR OVERSEAS TRAVEL. We shall make available, under certain conditions, suspensory loans to teachers for the purpose of travel, exchange or study overseas.  (g) SABBATICAL LEAVE. We shall, in addition to (f) above, introduce a system of sabbatical leave whereby teachers will be granted leave of absence, without loss of privileges, to either study or travel internally or overseas. Some account of the activity undertaken will be required. Initially the scheme will consist of 2.2 weeks per year of teaching, to be taken after twelve years on full pay. We look forward to the time when finance will allow a year's leave on full pay after five years' service. Similar schemes will also be worked out for members of Teachers' Training College staffs, and for senior as well as less senior officers of the Department who would be likely to benefit.  ANCILLARY STAFFING. With the introduction of new curricula and the increasing demands made upon teachers there arises the need for more ancillary assistance. Social Credit will look at three areas in particular:  (i) Clerical assistance will be extended to all schools and by an increase in hours.  (ii) Teacher aides will be provided on an extended priority basis, with special attention being given to audio-visual aid centres.  (iii) Library assistants will be provided on an extended priority basis.  SPECIALIST SERVICES.  (i) EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS: Services of educational psychologists to disturbed children and their equally disorientated families are hopelessly fragmented and quite inadequate. A Social Credit Government would appoint such personnel on a ratio of 1:6,000 as recommended by the World Health Organisation. We will also upgrade the service generally, including the provision of social workers to carry out preliminary and follow-up work.  (ii) GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS: One guidance counsellor will be appointed for every 400 students in both secondary and intermediate schools with eventual appointment to elementary schools.  (iii) VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE OFFICERS: For the appointment of Vocational Guidance Officers a Social Credit Government will draw upon the skills of trade, farming and professional people as well as graduates. We will extend vocational guidance services especially in rural areas and special attention will be given to the training of ethnic minorities.  (iv) SPEECH THERAPY. We will expand the facilities in speech therapy.  (v) VISITING TEACHERS: The visiting teacher service will be expanded on the basis of one per secondary school and contributing primary and intermediate schools.  (j) STAFFING AND SMALLER CLASSES. Our immediate target in relation to class sizes is no more than 20 pupils in sixth forms, 30 in lower forms, and 20 in primary schools. We are opposed to the unethical practice of recruiting teachers from other countries.  (k) REGIONAL TEACHING CENTRES. Social Credit will establish regional teaching centres which will enable the bringing together of teachers and staff of varied educational agencies to work together on the research and development of curricula and the distribution of information and materials. Such centres, which could be associated with Teachers' Colleges where appropriate, would also assist with in-service training of teachers.  2. TEACHER TRAINING. We favour a close link between Teachers' Colleges and Universities as exemplified in the Schools of Education concept at Waikato and Massey campuses (without loss of autonomy) leading to a degree in education, as well as allowing the option of a post-graduate course. We envisage in the not too distant future, every teacher holding a degree or diploma of one sort or another. We envisage these Schools of Education developing into true Colleges of Education which would be more multi-purpose, catering for all levels in the system, as well as meeting the need of the people in the community who have teaching responsibilities, i.e. evening class tutors, music teachers.  (a) TUTOR/STUDENT RATIO. A Social Credit Government will work towards a 1:15 ratio of tutor/student at Teachers' Colleges and thereafter 1:12.  (b) SUMMER COURSES. We shall promote the holding of summer courses at universities and Colleges of Education where teachers can gain credits for diplomas and degrees.  (c) CROSS-CREDITING. We shall facilitate the cross-crediting towards degrees and diplomas of work done in various types of continuing education courses such as university extension courses and technical institutes.  (d) EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS will be paid salaries comparable to and competitive with those of primary teachers, and where possible trained under the same conditions as primary teachers. This would upgrade the service generally and provide more career opportunities.  (e) RETURN TO SCHOOLS. We advocate that after five years' service Teachers' College lecturers return to secondary and primary schools for one year teaching periods and Technical Institute teachers return to industry for the same period. Likewise we would like to see more visiting lectureships offered by Teacher Colleges.  (f) SPECIAL EDUCATION. Full-time courses will be offered for those wishing to enter fields of special education such as slow learners or adult education.  (g) RESEARCH. Teachers' Colleges will be provided with sufficient resources for research to enable them to evaluate their programmes effectively and explore new learning and teaching approaches.  (h) IN-SERVICE: the number of in-service courses available needs to be increased and the type of courses varied to cater more for the classroom teacher as well as those in responsibility positions. We will investigate making more time available for on-campus training and encourage, especially, staff training programmes in all technical Institutes. We advocate closer liaison between Teachers' Colleges and schools in all subject areas, the building of another residential complex, and more emphasis on short, regional teacher training courses.  (i) IMMIGRANT TEACHERS will be required, where necessary, to undergo a period of reorientation training before assuming duties in this country.  (j) BONDING. Bonding of student teachers will be discontinued and replaced with an incentive payment after several years' teaching.  3. SCHOOLS, EQUIPMENT, AMENITIES. Social Credit sees schools as professional units which will generally assume a greater responsibility for their own functioning, within national guidelines. Our general policy towards schools will be to promote greater freedom and flexibility for experimentation and the implementation of innovative programmes, a greater degree of Interaction with the home and community, the fostering of the school as a community learning centre, and a more liberal programme to reduce inequalities between cultures and sexes. We realize that conversion of schools to full community use is a costly exercise and therefore needs consultation and planning at the outset.  Our policy towards building programmes will be to gain the maximum flexibility in design and a greater degree of local decision-making and responsibility which will reflect the particular needs of individual schools, new teaching methods and curriculum development. All substandard buildings should be gradually replaced for we do not favour prefabricated classrooms as substitutes for permanent buildings. Schools are becoming too large and depersonalized. It is time Government placed a figure on maximum growth, and seriously looked at alternatives.  (a) SUMMER SCHOOLS. We shall introduce on an experimental basis Summer Schools for the general public, thus making fuller use of our colleges, many of which have splendid grounds, swimming and recreational facilities, halls, equipment, libraries and accommodation - all of which lies idle for much of the year.  (b) USE OF THE MEDIA. We are anxious to see immediate use made of television and a greater use of radio as a means of both classroom instruction and adult education. Towards this end we shall co-opt the skills of those in the radio production to produce educational films. Regional programmes and trial broadcasts, such as that in the Waikato, will be encouraged. REGIONAL VIDEOTAPE AND AUDIO-VISUAL LIBRARIES will be established, centred on the Regional Teaching Centres. Availability of videotapes will be negotiated with both TV channels. VIDEOTAPE RECORDERS: We shall immediately subsidise the provision of videotape recorders to all schools over 800 (and thereafter to all other schools) provided that skilled operation and training for effective usage is guaranteed.  (c) BUILDINGS. ASSEMBLY HALLS AND GYMNASIA: We are well aware of the need for assembly halls and gymnasia at a number of our larger schools and colleges, particularly in rural areas where we envisage such halls and their adjacent schools as becoming centres of community activity to a far greater degree than at present. Care will be taken in the design of these halls to ensure they are suitable for drama, speech and related work. New schools will be specifically designed for community usage. Local authorities will be encouraged to place community facilities in or adjacent to schools or public parks.  (d) SIZE OF SCHOOLS. The maximum size for primary and intermediate schools will be approximately 500 students and for secondary schools, 800-900 students.  (e) SCHOOL LUNCHES. Social Credit will support a school lunch scheme to provide cheap, wholesome and attractive midday meals to children, with the aid of ancillary staff and adequate facilities.  (f) AGE LIMIT. There will be no limit on the age at which a person may study at secondary school. A Social Credit Government will institute a system of 15 years' free education, the right of every citizen, to be taken consecutively to 14 years of age, with a maximum of five years to be taken at any time after that.  (g) BULK PURCHASE OF TEACHING AIDS AND BOOKS. Where appropriate, a Social Credit Government will negotiate the bulk purchase of textbooks and teaching aids. Where it is economic to do so we shall contract with local manufacturers to produce them or, alternatively, the Department itself will produce them.  4. EXAMINATIONS.  (a) INTERNAL ASSESSMENT. A Social Credit Government will support the efforts of educationalists in steps taken towards a greater use of internal assessment.  (b) SCHOOL CERTIFICATE AND CERTIFICATE OF ATTAINMENT. We are concerned about the limitations of the present School Certificate examination and the intense but narrow field of preparation it demands of candidates. Far too much of the education given our young people is narrow and aims at specialization too soon. It also labels students as failures. We shall institute a syllabus that fits a person out for life and living as well as for earning a living, one that offers some attainable target for every student. Therefore we will issue to each student at the conclusion of his formal education a Certificate of Attainment. This certificate will be a concise record of the particular subjects taken and his achievement in them plus an account of his cultural, social, aesthetic, athletic and other contributions to the school community. Such a certificate would apply to leavers in both fourth forms and fifth forms. The present School Certificate will be modified to include both an external examination and internal assessment. There will also be research on alternative methods of external assessment other than by examination.  (c) UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE. We shall phase in a new system of entrance to university based on the spending of two years above the fifth form. Over these two years credit passes may be gained towards graduation from school and entrance to university.  (d) TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS. We favour a greater degree of flexibility of entry to other tertiary institutions which are more vocation orientated, i.e. Technical Institutes and Teachers' Colleges. In the latter, for example, fluent Maori speakers with a solid knowledge of Maoritanga may gain access without having gained university entrance first.  (e) EXAMINATION BOARD. We shall bring all external examinations under the control of one representative Examinations Board.  5. CURRICULA  (a) DIVERSIFICATION AND EXPERIMENTATION. We support the principle of diversification and experimentation in curricula at both regional and local levels to help make learning more relevant and meaningful. Our aim will be good, general education rather than early specialization.  (b) ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES. A Social Credit Government will introduce a planned course of instruction in Human Ecology and Environmental Studies in primary and secondary schools.  (c) INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. The opportunity will be given for students from primary through secondary schools to take courses in human development and interpersonal relationships, such courses to work in closely with the home and parents and suit local circumstances.  (d) OUTDOOR EDUCATION. Social Credit will foster outdoor education programmes to encourage self-reliance, development of community responsibility, increased knowledge of New Zealand environmental needs and potential, and development of a wider experience of life.  (e) POLYNESIAN STUDIES. We will introduce Polynesian Studies as a subject for School Certificate.  6. ADMINISTRATION.  (a) UNDER-SECRETARIES TO THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. A Social Credit Government will appoint three Under-Secretaries to the Minister of Education to assist with three very important and distinct aspects of the growing field of education, namely: Special Educational Needs, University Education, and Vocational Training. The first of these will have the task and duty of providing the means whereby all pupils in our schools coming within the category of those having Special Educational Needs will be able to attain the same levels of achievement as other children. The second will have the distinct task of aiding our universities in their efforts to perfect their standards of excellence in both the scientific and academic fields so that the avid demands of the age of automation will at all times be met. The third will be involved in promoting vocational training and the affairs of Technical Institutes, a work of growing importance to the economy of this country.  (b) DECENTRALIZATION OF ADMINISTRATION. In keeping with our general political and economic philosophy we will take immediate steps to decentralize administration within the Education Department. (See, for example, the policy on school buildings or the administration of technical institutes). Education Boards will be given the necessary authority to administer funds, following initial allocation. We will create a Northland Education Board.  (c) SCHOOL BOARDS AND COMMITTEES. A Social Credit Government would favour locally-elected school boards and committees to administer individual schools and is opposed to any concept which deprives parents and other interested persons of such a democratic right and privilege.  (d) ELECTION OF SCHOOL COMMITTEES. To encourage more community involvement we support the election of school committees on an annual basis with built-in safeguards for continuity.  (e) SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND PARENT/ TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS. We do not wish to see these two bodies amalgamated. They perform two equally necessary but distinct functions. We shall seek to draw a clear line between the functions of the two and to devise a scheme acceptable to both whereby each is represented on the other. We particularly favour the concept of a classroom Parent-Teacher relationship.  (f) STUDENT-TEACHER CO-OPERATION. Social Credit will foster greater co-operation between students and teachers in the determination of the curriculum, discipline and general administration of schools.  7. THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS. Social Credit welcomes educational experimentation and individual enterprise among those who wish to establish independent and alternative schools of various types, and believes that Government has a responsibility to so control the economy that all forms of education can flourish in a truly "national" system to the enrichment of all. Social Credit also upholds the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights which stipulates that "Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children". However, we note that under the present economic conditions such freedom of choice is increasingly being denied largely as a result of rising costs because many parents can now ill-afford to send their children to the school of their choice. Present trends and Government economic policies will undoubtedly foster elitist schools. Until the economy is brought under control Social Credit will provide just as much assistance as is necessary in order to keep independent schools viable.  (a) EDUCATION BENEFIT. We will replace all state aid with an education benefit or grant equal to a negotiated proportion of the annual cost of educating a child in the state system, provided that the controlling bodies of such independent schools agree to being taxed at company rates for all income currently exempted on education, charitable or religious grounds. Only schools recognized by the Department of Education would be entitled to such assistance.  (b) INTEGRATION. Social Credit is opposed to monopolies, whether in education or in industry. Any forced trend towards a monolithic state system of education and the absorption of every independent school into it would be politically dangerous. If, because of economic conditions or other factors, independent schools find it more attractive to integrate with the state system it should be on a voluntary basis, and the special character of the schools involved must be preserved. Integration should not be a condition for state assistance.  (c) LAY TEACHERS. All positions for lay teachers in the independent schools will be advertised in the Education Gazette as they become available.  (d) SUPERANNUATION AND GRADING. Superannuation and grading rights of teachers in the service of the independent schools will be protected.  (e) TEACHER APPOINTMENT. There will be liaison between the Education Authorities and the relevant independent school Authority in the appointment of suitable teachers.  (f) BOARDS OF GOVERNORS AND SCHOOL COMMITTEES. A Social Credit Government will require the establishment of a Board of Governors for each independent secondary school, and School Committees for the independent primary schools.  (g) FREE FLOW AND PROMOTION OF TEACHERS. We would require reasonable facility to permit the free reciprocal flow of teachers between the independent schools and the state schools. This is essential in order to provide for adequate promotion for any lay teacher, and it would widen the appreciation by one system of the other.  (h) RATE OF INCREASE OF STAFF. Simultaneously with the giving of the Education Benefit, a Social Credit Government will regulate the rate of increase of staff in the independent schools.  (i) ACCOUNTING MACHINERY. We shall require independent schools to adopt standardised accounting methods in order to ensure the correct allocation of all public monies paid to these schools.  (j) RATE OF ADJUSTMENT. The amount of the Education Benefit will be subject to adjustment in relation to a general rise in the cost of state education.  8. POLYNESIAN EDUCATION.  (a) UNDER-SECRETARY. The Under-Secretary for Special Educational Needs will deal with all aspects of Polynesian education.  (b) TEACHERS' TRAINING COLLEGE LECTURESHIPS. We will invite applications from the ranks of qualified Maori teachers to fill lectureships at all Teachers' Training Colleges wherein their special responsibility will be to provide all teacher trainees with a composite course dealing with Maori history, languages, lore and customs, and the problems confronting the modern urban Maori, so that an enlightened teaching force can bring about through the schools the appropriate community awareness, attitudes and solutions to these problems within a pluralistic society.  (c) MAORI TUTORS. We will alter the academic criteria to allow fluent Maori speakers with a solid knowledge of Maoritanga to tutor in Teachers' Colleges and secondary schools.  (d) IN-SERVICE COURSES FOR MULTICULTURAL SITUATIONS. Where there is a considerable multicultural school population we will foster in-service courses, either within the school or on a nearby marae. Such courses will include adult education on such matters as house financing, budgeting.  (e) RECEPTION CLASSES FOR IMMIGRANTS Where warranted we will establish reception classes for new entrants to New Zealand on New Zealand life, language and culture as well as providing for the retraining of immigrant teachers now in New Zealand.  (f) IMMIGRANT TEACHERS. Immigrant teachers, where necessary, will be required to undergo a period of re-orientation training before assuming duties in this country.  (g) LANGUAGE RESOURCES UNIT. Social Credit will establish a language resource unit to produce teaching materials (suitable for multicultural situations. This could be a particular function of Regional Teaching Centres.  (h) COMMUNITY CENTRES. We will support the use of community centres for early childhood education among Polynesian and immigrant peoples.  (i) POLYNESIAN STUDIES. We will introduce Polynesian Studies as a subject for School Certificate.  (j) MAORI EDUCATION FOUNDATION. We will provide generous financial assistance to the Maori Education Foundation to promote self-help.  (k) EDUCATION GRANTS. Specific additional grants will be made for the education of pupils from depressed urban environments.  (l) LEARNING MAORI. Every New Zealand schoolchild will be given the opportunity of learning both Maori and English.  (m) SCHOLARSHIPS. Social Credit will provide additional scholarships to private Maori schools.  (n) VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE. Special vocational guidance officers will be appointed. By liaison with schools and parents they will advise all Maori school-leavers and where possible direct them into skilled occupations requiring further training.  (o) PRE-VOCATIONAL COURSES. Orientation courses for Maori youths moving to the cities will be extended. Pre-vocational courses at technical institutes will be available for all Maori youths who could benefit.  9. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. We see the greatest needs of early childhood education as the expansion of facilities and competently trained staffs. We favour a combination of state and independent school education, variety not uniformity. And we believe early education must be made available to all. A Social Credit Government will enter into negotiations with the executive representatives of this movement, to assess and then to provide its just educational needs, including continuing education for teachers.  (a) SALARIES AND TRAINING. Early childhood teachers will be paid salaries comparable to and competitive with those of primary teachers and, where possible, will be trained under the same conditions as primary school teachers. This would upgrade the service generally and provide more career-opportunities.  (b) USE OF COMMUNITY CENTRES. We favour a fuller use of community centres for parent-child education. Where facilities are not adequate we will help with the provision of such things as parent-centre rooms, creches, libraries - especially in new housing areas or areas of special need.  (c) STAFF/CHILD RATIOS. We will negotiate with the different bodies realistic staff/Child ratios (40 is far too many. We suggest 1:20).  (d) PLAY CENTRES. Play centres will be given annual grants on a per capita basis equal to kindergarten for equipment and running costs.  (e) LIAISON WITH SCHOOLS. To encourage close liaison with parents and schools, early childhood centres should be established in the grounds of primary, intermediate or secondary schools as separate entities.  (f) CHILDCARE CENTRES. We will encourage factories and shopping centres to set up child care centres adjacent to or on their premises.  (g) KINDERGARTEN EQUIPMENT. We will also encourage the use of kindergarten equipment during holiday periods.  10. UNIVERSITY EDUCATION. We believe that a university should fulfil two major functions. The first is to provide facilities for specialised education which will equip students to enter the community highly trained in particular subjects of their choice. In this respect we will foster more liaison between universities, secondary schools, technical institutes and commerce. The second purpose is to provide an opportunity for learning for its own sake, in order to establish an atmosphere and provide conditions congenial for research and the pursuit of knowledge. We further believe that universities should play a greater part in community and continuing education.  (a) UNDER-SECRETARY. We will appoint to the Minister of Education an Under-Secretary for University Education.  (b) Salaries. We will raise academic staff salaries substantially in themselves and within the income structure of the community.  (c) STUDENT BURSARIES. Social Credit believes that every student, with the appropriate qualifications, should have equal opportunity and right of entry to tertiary institutions. Therefore, it is obligatory upon the State to see that economic conditions are such that entry is financially feasible for each student. Students should never be placed in the position of having to crawl to the authorities pleading for handouts: they should be able to pursue their studies unburdened by financial worry. Every full-time student at university and technical Institute, who has the appropriate qualifications which render him/her eligible for entry into those institutions, will receive annually renewable bursaries which will be sufficient to cover boarding allowances, fees and other basic costs. The only condition is that satisfactory progress be made and the required number of courses passed. Teachers in training will continue to be paid a salary as at present. The bursaries would be automatically adjusted each year in terms of rises in the cost of living, during the period which it will take the Social Credit Government to bring inflation under control. The bursaries would be differentiated between student groups according to circumstances and the extent of the costs Involved: some subjects involve much higher costs than others, such as consumable materials and field work. No bonding would be involved. There would be no means test, with its associated degrading aspects. Investigations would be made into the needs of part-time students.  (d) OPEN UNIVERSITY. An Open University, similar to the English one, will be instituted to provide wider opportunity for continuing education.  (e) ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES. A degree course in environmental studies and human ecology will be established in New Zealand universities.  (f) ENVIRONMENTAL LAW. Environmental law will be part of legal studies at universities.  (g) INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS. Courses in industrial relations will be included in any management study programmes at New Zealand universities.  (h) CHAIR OF AQUACULTURE. A Social Credit Government will establish a Chair of Aquaculture at a selected New Zealand university and encourage and extend the aquatic research facilities in this country.  11. APPLIED RESEARCH. In our rapidly growing technological society the need for planned and co-ordinated research (see Scientific Research) is becoming more and more vital. Social Credit places considerable emphasis on research throughout its manifesto and will initiate applied research by local authorities, government departments, technical institutes, universities, colleges and schools, voluntary agencies and others, into social and recreational programmes, social development plans for new housing areas, city centre social patterns, cultural amenities and additions to educational curricula. Specific policy areas include the environment (non-pollutant research and research into recycling of wastes), housing (user research on all new building development), health (research into curative methods not requiring drug use, e.g. hypnotherapy, acupuncture).  12. VOCATIONAL TRAINING, TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, POLYTECHNICS. Tertiary education, and especially that of technical institutes, has been growing at a tremendous pace in recent years, yet increasing needs and demands for changes in administration, course structures and improved quality are not being met. In an age of increasing technology the work of technical institutes should be expanded and their status and quality elevated. They should receive a greater degree of recognition and support from Government. No longer should we tolerate institutes having an image of being "poor relations" to the universities. We wish to train our own technologists in depth for New Zealand's immediate and future needs, instead of being continually reliant on overseas "experts".  (a) UNDER-SECRETARY. Social Credit will appoint to the Minister of Education an Under-Secretary responsible for Vocational Training.  (b) AUTONOMY. Social Credit believes the technical institutes are linked too closely to the Department. In order to strengthen their course structure and meet more adequately the needs of local industry-they must be freer to determine their own future, similar to that of the universities. Each institute should have its own governing board. We will grant greater freedom to the locallyelected Boards of each institute:  - to experiment, within accepted financial limits, with alternative ways of carrying out particular programmes.  - To expand full-time courses where these are felt necessary, after approaches have been made to local industries to ascertain their precise needs.  - To exercise financial decision-making (with block grants rather than the present "tagged" ones).  - To devise their own courses and examinations as alternative means of satisfying certificate requirements.  (a) COLLEGES OF ADVANCED EDUCATION. In order to elevate the work of the institutes to university level we will extend their work to the equivalent of Stage 1 level at university, and establish a pilot College of Advanced Education in collaboration with the Auckland Technical Institute. Such a college would broaden the base of tertiary education and rapidly move towards degree-granting status to cover a range of professionally and vocationally oriented courses in such practical areas as journalism, television, computer studies, applied geography. We see such colleges as obvious outgrowths of technical institutes in the large centres for students wishing to develop greater expertise, especially in the technological areas. We see little reason too, why the universities should not recognize present advanced qualifications from technical institutes as bases for proceeding to higher degrees while the Colleges of Advanced Education are getting under way. In the smaller centres the Community Colleges could move towards Stage 1 status.  (b) INDIGENOUS INDUSTRY. We will establish area technical institutes centred on indigenous regional industry, e.g. at Rotorua, centred on the timber industry. We recommend that the A.T.I. should centre its activities on production engineering, food and catering and hotel management.  (c) SCHOOL OF FISHING. A school of fishing will be established at a selected technical institute for the trade training of people wishing to enter the fishing industry.  (d) VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE OFFICERS. We will extend vocational guidance services, especially in rural areas, and special attention will be given to the training of ethnic minorities.  (e) CROSS-CREDITING. We shall facilitate the cross crediting of work done in technical institutes towards university degrees and diplomas.  (f) BURSARIES (See University Education 10 (c) ).  (g) TUTOR RE-ENTRY TO INDUSTRY. We advocate that after five years' service technical institute tutors return to industry for a one-year period.]  (h) TRAINING INDUSTRIAL PERSONNEL. Top priority will be given to training key personnel in industry e.g. overseers, foremen. These courses will teach skills the jobs require.  (i) SECONDARY SCHOOLS. We will promote a broader range of courses in secondary schools relevant to contemporary industry and society. These will include work orientation programmes, regardless of sex, and comprehensive programmes for adults involved in vocational training.  13. CONTINUING EDUCATION. We believe the individual's education, in its widest sense, should be able to continue throughout life, and that opportunities should be provided whereby a person may choose with greater flexibility the path he wishes to follow. We applaud the programmes now in operation or being planned at Mangers, Rutherford High, Aroere College and Wellington High School, but note that continuing education is not to be seen just in terms of institutionalised education. A number of points have already been made on continuing education. For example, the alteration to the school leaving age, various teacher training programmes and work in the technical institutes.  (a) RETIRED PEOPLE. Courses will be offered for retired people during vacation periods, to offer intellectual stimulation and help them adapt to rapid social change.  (b) EDUCATION SHOPS. Education shops will be established in major shopping centres on an experimental basis. These will provide model lessons, a display of the latest educational material, appropriate textbooks for home use and opportunity for asking questions and making suggestions. Such shops will be a major step forward in taking education to the people.  (c) ADULT FACILITIES. Social Credit will provide adequate facilities for adults attending secondary schools.  (d) TRAINING IN ADULT EDUCATION. Specialist appointments in the principles and practice of adult education will be made to Teachers' Colleges.  14. RURAL EDUCATION. Social Credit has always been concerned with the run-down of rural services because of the lack of profitability in farming. Restore this profitability and services such as education will become more vital. We will ensure that the Education facilities in smaller areas are of the highest standard, and comparable to those of the larger centres.  COUNTRY SERVICE INCENTIVES. Instead of the present salary bar Social Credit will introduce a system of incentive payments to attract teachers to rural areas. These will be on an (A), (B), (C) scale covering degrees of remoteness as the basis for payment:  (A) More than 80 miles from one of the four main centres.  (B) More than 40 miles from a town of over 7,000.  (C) More than 15 miles from a town of over 3, 000.  HOUSING. A Social Credit Government will provide additional rental houses for married teachers serving rural. areas and flats for single teachers. Rentals will be reasonable and will be reduced on the basis of an (A), (B), (C) scale.  FORM I TO VII SCHOOLS. Social Credit will progressively replace the District High School system with a Form 1 to 7 system.  ADDITIONAL BOARDING ALLOWANCES. In all cases where Boarding Bursaries do not at present apply, we shall pay an accommodation allowance of $12 a week for outback secondary school children who attend a boarding school or board privately.  CULTURAL ACTIVITIES. To satisfy the cultural hunger that causes many people to leave smaller areas, we will make funds available so that groups such as singers, musicians, and theatre can visit these areas.  15. SLOW LEARNERS. We recognize that, while the problem of the slow learner exists, the shortest route to its alleviation is an adequate flow of well-trained teachers into our schools. We shall, therefore:  (a) five a high priority to the recommendation concerning Special Classes of the 1962 Royal Commission of a teacher/pupil ratio of 1 to 18.  (b) Make available special grants of money to be spent on this problem.  (c) Establish special salary scales for teachers engaged in this work.  (d) Initiate the introduction of exploratory prevocational and work-experience programmes as an integral part of courses for slow learners.  (e) Include in all teachers' training programmes a course whereby trainees will be made aware of the existence of slow learners and their particular problems.  ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION. (See also Forestry, and Energy Resources under Mining, Fuel and Power). Protection of the environment must dominate economics, not vice-versa. Human well being and ecological salvation must take precedence over speculation and exploitation of our natural resources for profit. Environmental policies should be built on decentralization or regionalism with informal public involvement, and the creation of balanced communities. Land is our heritage, indeed the very basis of this country's existence. The principle of private ownership is one of trust to ensure that future generations will receive it in as good a condition or better than when it was first developed. New Zealand's natural resources must be developed for the benefit of all New Zealanders, and soil conservation must be regarded as a protection of our greatest natural resource, the land.  1. MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT. Every New Zealander is very conscious that a new philosophy is urgently required in order to preserve our natural resources, and to enable a scientific and common sense approach to this all important problem. To this end, therefore, a Social Credit Government will create a new Ministerial position of senior status, that of Natural Resources and Environment; and for the purposes of "resource use" all land users will be responsible to the Minister. The Ministry will have a fully effective department whose function it will be to determine scientifically, on the basis of physical properties of the soil, topography and economics, the optimum land use, and to formulate a broad national land use policy. Acting on the necessity to promote multiple land use a Social Credit Government will initiate a programme for a balanced agricultural system involving the strategic placement of forests or stands of trees.  2. CONSERVATION CODE. A legally enforceable conservation code will be established and administered by the Department of Justice to ensure that manufacturers and industrialists conserve our natural resources. Social Credit will do everything possible to prevent pollution of air, soil and water.  3. RECYCLING. A Social Credit Government will initiate a policy requiring the recycling of all agricultural, industrial and municipal wastes by one of the following:  (a) Reprocessing them into by-products.  (b) Converting them into balanced fertilisers.  (c) Controlling their return to the environment in non-toxic biodegradable forms.  1. BASIC AND RENEWABLE RESOURCES. The Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941, the Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967, the Nature Conservation Act 1967, the Nature Conservation Council Act 1962 and other relevant legislation will be suitably amended to provide for the above functions and duties under the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment. The national soil and water organization will be suitably reorganized in order to serve the policy requirements under the new Ministry, which will be charged with soil and water conservation as an over-riding authority. All departments administering the land and its use will be subsidiary to, and act as agents of, the Minister. As a first major step, the qualifications of professional officers employed on soil and water conservation will be considerably improved and a major training scheme, predominantly overseas in the first instance, will be put into effect. The management of water is inseparable from soil conservation, and the Minister will be responsible for the control of all waterways, and for the delivery of water for all purposes. In. general, each catchment will have one over-riding objective of management to which other objectives will be subordinate. Each Regional Water Board will have one member appointed to represent local conservation bodies, i.e. Acclimatization Societies, Trampers, etc. The resources of the sea are of no less importance to the future well being of this country than the resources of the land, and must in consequence be managed to ensure a continuing yield.  2. NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES. All minerals are inherently part of New Zealand's basic wealth and belong to New Zealanders collectively. All mineral wealth, therefore, must be secured to the Crown on behalf of the people. Minerals are not unlimited, and although we may not be in a position to exploit all our raw materials at present, we shall need them in time. Our policy will be to ration these resources as a basis for manufacture or processing in this country. Although export of minerals in a raw state may appear attractive from time to time, this should not be permitted to obscure the major long-term advantages of retaining them for our own use as and when we require them. The present mining regulations will be amended to ensure that all mining operations as they affect our first and second-class land and mineral resources will be evaluated on the basis of the long-term benefit to New Zealand. This responsibility will lie with the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.  3. RESEARCH.  (a) NON-POLLUTANT RESEARCH. An independent Scientific Research Corporation (the present D.S.I.R.) will carry out research on non-pollutant projects and projects that will reduce pollution; this body's findings will be made public.  (b) OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH. A division of the Department of Health will be established to examine all aspects of occupational health, with particular reference to noise levels, toxic gases and other hazardous by-products of industrial processes.  (c) ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH. Agricultural universities will do more research into the practical and theoretical application of ecological principles in farming, including the recycling of wastes.  (d) COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS. Proposed development and use of natural resources will be subject to a full cost-benefit analysis, including social costs.  (e) PESTICIDES. Social Credit will introduce an urgent programme of research aimed at:  - Using harmful pesticides more carefully.  - Replacing them with biological controls wherever possible.  - Ultimately phasing pesticides out. This will include both expanded scientific research and agricultural and industrial financial incentives.  (f) MARINE RESEARCH. Research into marine biology will be increased.  (g) EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. A Social Credit Government will establish a Chair of Aquaculture at a selected New Zealand university and encourage and extend the aquatic research facilities in New Zealand.  1. PLANNING. A Ministry of Natural Resources will set up a National Physical Planning Agency to project the nation's environmental future in fullest detail to the year 2000, so as to know what its priorities should be and how to achieve them.  2. EDUCATION.  (a) Social Credit will introduce a planned course of instruction in Human Ecology and Environmental Studies in primary and secondary schools.  (b) A degree course in Human Ecology and Environmental Studies will be established in N.Z. universities.  (c) LEGAL STUDIES. Environmental law will be part of legal studies at universities.  (d) CHAIR OF AQUACULTURE (See 6 (g) above.  1. POLLUTION CONTROL.  (a) VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS. All vehicles subject to warrant of fitness tests will be required to meet decibel level and fume-emission level tests, and legislation will be enforced.  (b) SMOKELESS ZONES. Smokeless zones will be established in urban areas.  (c) MANUFACTURING AND POLLUTION. A levy will be imposed on manufacturers who do not provide for the recycling of non-biodegradable wastes. This levy cannot be incorporated in any price increases and will act as an economic penalty for polluters.  (d) DEPOSIT ON GLASS CONTAINERS. Legislation will be introduced to ensure that an adequate deposit must be paid for all glass containers of beverages such as beer and soft drinks. The value of this deposit will be marked on the bottle during manufacture and repurchase by any dealer in the drink concerned will be mandatory, at the price stated. In the case of beer bottles the deposit will be at least ten cents each.  (e) PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE. A Social Credit Government will take action to combat planned obsolescence.  (f) TECHNOLOGY VERSUS POLLUTION. Greater assistance will be given to government departments in the use of technology to combat all forms of pollution.  (g) WATERWAYS. The work of catchment authorities in reducing pollution of waterways will be speeded up, with particular emphasis on agricultural and industrial pollution.  1. ENVIRONMENTAL ZONING. Social Credit will adopt a system of environmental zoning for the nation:  (a) an inviolate sanctuary zone.  (b) a reserve for park zone.  (c) an open country zone.  (d) a national development zone.  1. NATIONAL PARKS. Legislation will be introduced to make withdrawal of any part of a national park or other reserve subject to the following conditions:  (a) Five years' public notice and the right of interested bodies to make representations to the Minister of the Environment and to take the matter, if necessary, to a suitable court of law.  (b) The area lost to be replaced by purchase of similar land of at least equal environmental value.  (c) These conditions can only be waived by a unanimous vote of Parliament.  1. LAND USE COMMITTEES. Regional land use committees will be established to advise the Minister on the correct use of land. (See Race Relations, Section 6).  2. UNSUITABLE USE OF LAND. Social Credit will phase out, where possible, over a maximum period of twenty years, with adequate compensation, present unsuitable use of land. For example, agricultural and industrial land adjacent to rivers and lakes which are contributing to pollution and eutrophication, will be converted to forestry.  3. URBAN SPREAD. In order to utilize our land to the best advantage, all land adjacent to major cities and boroughs, when offered for sale or subdivision, will be purchased by the Crown at a negotiated price. Following classification of the said areas, titles will be issued with sufficient protection to ensure the best possible usage.  4. ENDOWMENT LAND. As local bodies will no longer be dependent on revenue from endowment land under a Social Credit economy, these areas, subject to their being classified as farm land, will be brought within the scope of the Land Act 1948 which would give the lessees the right of freehold.  5. CROWN LEASEHOLD. The Land Act 1948 will be amended to ensure that rentals on all Crown leaseholds will be fixed with due regard to the productive capacity of the unit concerned, and the lessee will be given just value for his improvements. The purchase of Crown Leasehold on deferred payment licence without deposit will be introduced.  6. RATING. The present outdated, inequitable, and costly system of assessing local body rates will be phased out and replaced by a system based on land classification in the case of rural land, and In the case of urban property, zoning in accordance with the approved town plan. Local bodies will have the option of rating on a riding and or zonal basis.  7. FARM HOLDINGS. It will be the objective of a Social Credit Government, by reducing and ultimately stabilizing costs, to ensure that farm holdings remain economic from one generation to the next, and thus protect the individual's equity in the land.  8. DIVERSIFIED FARMING. Diversified farming practices will be encouraged In place of mono-culture.  9. MANURES. We will encourage by subsidy a greater use of organic manures instead of artificial fertilizers to:  (a) Provide a more balanced fertilizer for the soil, and  (b) make sure adequate resources are available when overseas supplies dry up.  1. FORESTRY INCENTIVES.  (a) Incentives for the establishment of forests by farmers and other private organisations will be increased.  (b) Funds will be made available for establishing forest stands on Maori land, in similar fashion to the farm forestry loans scheme.  1. BEECH FORESTS. The beech forests will be for the benefit of New Zealand and not overseas concerns.  2. OVERSEAS OWNERSHIP OF LAND. No overseas individual or concern may acquire by purchase, lease, trust, shareholding or any other means, land in New Zealand, except under the following conditions:  (a) The purchase is approved by both the Ministry of the Environment and the local body concerned.  (b) A development plan covering at least twenty years' work following purchase is submitted which is satisfactory to both bodies.  (c) The Minister of the Environment is satisfied that the purchase and development proposed are non-speculative and in the interests of New Zealand.  (d) Should the development plan or its logical extension be not fulfilled, the Minister of the Environment has the right to acquire the land at valuation. Social Credit opposes the sale of Crown or Public land to overseas interests.  1. MINING. Legislation will be introduced making the Mines Act subordinate to legislation concerning the environment.  2. MINERAL RIGHTS. Social Credit is opposed to foreign interests or foreign people obtaining mineral rights unless it can be proved to be an advantage to New Zealand.  3. SUB-STRATA REMOVAL. Where natural gas and or petroleum are removed from sub-strata they must be replaced with suitable materials, e.g. water.  4. ELECTRICITY GENERATION.  (a) BROADLANDS GEOTHERMAL FIELDS  The proposal to divert the Broadlands Geothermal Fields to the production of heavy water by overseas Interests will be prevented, and this energy source will be conserved for the benefit of New Zealanders.  (b) CLUTHA VALLEY. Unless subject to full and favourable cost benefit analysis to favourable environmental impact reports, and to the provisions of the Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967, all further development of the Clutha Valley for hydro-electric purposes will be dispensed with.  (c) COMALCO CONTRACT. The Comalco contract will be subject to periodic renegotiation relative to economic and ecological conditions at the time, and the use of available resources.  (d) MANAPOURI. The level of Lake Manapouri will not be raised above the present high water level.  (e) SOLAR HEATING. Social Credit will encourage greater research by both government and independent bodies into alternative methods of energy utilization, e.g. solar heating, wind power, harnessing the tides, goo-thermal power. Social Credit will encourage the Installation of solar heating both privately and in industry.  1. A PLEASING ENVIRONMENT.  (a) PLEASING LANDSCAPE. The natural character of the New Zealand countryside will be preserved from hoardings so that we can have a landscape which is more pleasing to the eye.  (b) COMMUNITIES FOR PEOPLE. Social Credit will provide incentives for people to live in medium and high density communities of small size, surrounded by open spaces and linked by rapid transit systems, thus lessening the dependence on motor vehicles and the need to build further motorways. We will design communities for people, not cars.  (c) RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS. More emphasis will be placed on the provision of public transport, especially rapid transit systems such as rapid rail, as a means of improving public access to cities. We recommend that such transport in inner city areas should be free.  (d) PEDESTRIAN MALLS. We will encourage attractive pedestrian malls and rest and recreation areas in inner-city areas.  (e) AESTHETIC SOUND BARRIERS. Social Credit will foster the construction of grass strips and tree belts between main highways and community areas to act as aesthetic sound barriers.  (f) PRIVATE RESERVATIONS. This will apply to land which has been designated under the local authorities district scheme for preservation in its natural or existing state, or where usage is restricted for environmental or conservation reasons.  1. TERRITORIAL LIMITS.  (a) A three mile limit will be imposed around the whole of the coastline of New Zealand against all forms of power trawling and seine or purse netting.  (b) A Social Credit Government will endeavour, by international agreement to extend the territorial limits to a minimum of 50 miles. If necessary, this will be done by unilateral action, to protect the marine assets for the benefit of New Zealanders around our coastline.  (a) A Social Credit Government will take urgent action by international negotiation to gain supervisory control of the waters surrounding New Zealand beyond territorial limits to a distance of 200 miles.  1. MARINE RESERVE. An area of one nautical mile around the main islands of the Poor Knights and the Pinnacles will become a marine reserve.  2. SHELLFISH.  (a) All littoral natural stocks of shellfish (rock oysters excepted) will be decommercialised. All littoral shellfish for sale will have to be farmed under licence.  (b) Research into the rapid development of marine farming of shellfish will be intensified.  1. CRAYFISH. ROTATIONAL HARVESTING. Zoning will be introduced for the rotational harvesting of crayfish, and permanent sanctuary zones, banned at all times to exploitation of crayfish, will be established.  2. INTERNATIONAL POLLUTION. Social Credit will campaign vigorously for the adoption of international agreements to reduce worldwide pollution especially oceanic and atmospheric.  3. ACCLIMATIZATION SOCIETIES. Voluntary organizations such as Acclimatization Societies will continue their present valuable administrative role. We align ourselves with all organizations opposed to take-overs of our inherited rights.  4. RARE SPECIES. We will expand the present policy of preserving natural areas containing rare species.  5. NOXIOUS ANIMALS. The present policy of extermination will be replaced by a policy of control, although the extermination policy will be retained in certain critical areas. We are very much in favour of private hunting, both for our young population and for visitors to this country. Where the over-riding prescription for any area of land is for hunting and other recreation, we intend to assist with access and accommodation. We are sympathetic to the orderly development of meat hunting for export as an economic method of controlling noxious animals.  6. NOXIOUS WEEDS. New Zealand cannot afford the continuing loss of private and public land to noxious weeds. Eradication, or at least control, will be pursued with the utmost vigour on all land, whether publicly or privately owned.  7. PATENTS. Social Credit will institute legislation which will stop individuals and or firms from buying oft any patent merely to prevent its implementation. Any patent given will have to be developed within three years to retain the patent.  8. STAGGERED WORKING HOURS. We will encourage the implementation of staggered working hours to conserve transport and energy resources.  9. LAKEWEED CONTROL. Control by mechanical harvesting with a view to composting or for fodder will be favoured, though where appropriate biological control will be considered.  10. ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION. All legislative acts will be subject to environmental legislation where applicable.  FINANCE (The Means to the End).  1. OWNERSHIP OF CREDIT. We will restore to the people the ownership of their own credit, so that they will be the ultimate and major beneficiaries of its use.  2. NEW ZEALAND CREDIT AUTHORITY (N.Z.C.A.). The N.Z.C.A. will be the only institution which has the power to create, issue and cancel New Zealand money. The N.Z.C.A. will accept authority from and be answerable to the Parliament of New Zealand. FUNCTIONS:  (a) LIMITS OF CREDIT CREATION. It will determine the limits of the total volume of credit creation, such limits to be related to the value of the nation's total production of goods and services.  (b) NEW ZEALAND BALANCE SHEET. It will be charged with the duty of preparing proper statements of the national accounts, including a N.Z. Balance Sheet, showing the true wealth and financial position of the country. These accounts will be presented in conformity with modern accounting practice and will be tabled before Parliament annually.  (c) INCOMES AND CONSUMER GOODS. The New Zealand Credit Authority will ensure that the income of the people equates with the value of goods and services available for consumption.  (d) SURVEY it will determine the extent to which the actual nation's production falls short of or exceeds desirable possible production.  (e) OVERSEAS EXCHANGE. The N.Z.C.A. will have overall jurisdiction in the purchase and sale of overseas exchange. The N.Z.C.A. will buy overseas exchange from producer marketing organizations at a price in N.Z. dollars to give security and a fair Income to farmers.  1. GOVERNMENT FINANCE. Money required for government purposes within New Zealand over and above that received from revenue will be provided by the N.Z.C.A. Interest-free, and, where circumstances warrant, debt-free. RESERVE BANK. The Reserve Bank will accept management responsibility for social investment on: Loans to local bodies, loans to industry to allow non-inflationary investment in the social capital required to improve working conditions. The Reserve Bank will ensure that this Investment is maintained at a level which will not initiate demand inflation or result in a lack of effective demand. One measure to ensure this will be to regulate the demand for loans by varying their repayment in accord with government policy.  2. LOCAL BODY FINANCE. The Reserve Bank will provide loans free of interest with an administrative charge only for approved local body projects. Priorities will be determined by the Local Authorities' Loans Board. In certain circumstances debt free grants may be issued.  3. NATIONAL DEBT. INTERNAL: A Social Credit Government will eliminate all internal government borrowing for non-revenue purposes and progressively redeem the internal debt. OVERSEAS: External debt will be repaid as circumstances permit. A Social Credit Government will not borrow from the I.M.F. A Social Credit Government will legislate for full autonomy of action to implement any or all of its policies and will not accept economic or monetary direction on internal matters. A Social Credit Government will not enter into any contract or agreement with any foreign or international body which entails forfeiture of New Zealand's full internal autonomy.  4. BANKING AND INVESTMENTS.  TRADING BANKS:  (a) Normal business relations between the trading banks and their customers will remain.  (b) The trading banks will be licensed as agents of the N.Z.C.A.  (c) The trading banks will loan to their customers only that money made available to them by the N.Z.C.A.  (d) The trading banks will be advanced sufficient money from the N.Z.C.A., at a service charge only, to meet the requirements for working finance of business and individuals.  (e) The operative reserve and asset ratio controls over the trading banks will be abolished.  (f) The trading banks will be individually advanced money by the N.Z.C.A. in proportion to the demand deposits held by each on customer's account.  (g) Subject to government approval, the trading banks will be entitled to charge reasonable service fees to customers for cheque and accountancy services rendered.  P.O.S.B.: Post Office and Trustee Savings Banks will be maintained as repositories for the people's savings and equitable rates of interest will be paid. Full cheque facilities will be made available to depositors.  BUILDING SOCIETIES: Savings institutions such as Building Societies will be encouraged to invest in private industry. The present directives insisting that a percentage of loan money be channelled into Government Stock will be revoked.  TRUSTEE ACT 1956: The Trustee Act 1956 will be amended to enable trustee investments to be made in approved agricultural and industrial undertakings.  N.Z. INVESTMENT CORPORATION: An Investment Corporation will be established to advise on avenues of investment, and investments approved by the Corporation will be state guaranteed.  STATE TRADING ENTERPRISES: Existing State trading enterprises shall be converted to corporations.  CREDIT UNIONS: A Social Credit Government will give every encouragement to the New Zealand Credit Union movement and similar co-operative savings groups.  1. FINANCE COMPANIES. The hire purchase regulations will be overhauled to place interest rates on a day to day basis.  2. STABILIZATION. We shall stabilize the price of living and ensure that the benefits accruing to the nation from the implementation of a Social Credit economy are safeguarded. In the first term of office a Social Credit Government will endeavour to introduce a national dividend.  (a) Establish Compensating Prices on essential commodities, and gradually extend them to cover a far wider range of consumer goods, without adding to taxation.  (b) Revise the administration of the Control of Prices Act 1947 and the Trade Practices Act 1958.  1. MONOPOLIES AND TAKEOVERS.  (a) In the interest of consumers adequate legislation will be introduced to govern business monopolies and takeovers.  (b) Social Credit will establish an Antitrust Board charged with examining company aggregation.  (c) If it is shown that the aggregation of resources is necessary, Social Credit will convert this type of monopoly into a Co-operative.  (d) Those companies which cannot be fragmented will be subject to Price Control.  1. TAXATION.  (a) We shall increase the rebates for tax.  (b) We shall progressively reduce indirect taxation.  (c) DEATH DUTIES: Social Credit believes that farms and small family businesses must be able to be passed on to immediate members of the family without undue hardship. Death duties will be relieved on estates up to a value to be disclosed during the campaign. A further death within a period of seven years will not entail further death duties.  (d) WORKERS' TRANSPORT: A Social Credit Government will allow individual taxpayers to charge cost of travel to and from work against taxable income. The maximum amount will be not more than required costs of travel by public transport. Maximum $300.  (e) HOUSING MAINTENANCE: A Social Credit Government will allow the individual taxpayer to charge the cost of interest charges, rates and maintenance of his her own home (in which his her family lives) against taxable income up to a maximum of $500 per year.  (f) TAX REBATE FOR DEPENDENT WIFE: A Social Credit Government will increase the tax rebate for a dependent wife or husband (amount to be decided when Social Credit becomes Government).  (g) RACING CLUBS. Racing clubs will be taxed on a graduated tax scale.  1. COMPANY TAXATION. A revision of company taxation will be undertaken to ensure greater equity and increased incentive.  WORKER SHAREHOLDING SCHEMES. In all cases where any trading organisation is operating an approved worker shareholding scheme for Industrial Councils, and Industrial Trusts, such a trading organisation will be designated as a co-operative and not liable for any taxation at the company level In all cases tax would be paid once only, in the hands of the individual shareholder.  TAXATION ON RETAINED PROFITS. Taxation on retained profits will be progressively increased so as to eliminate the reserves method of accumulating financial capital.  1. EXPORT CREDIT ACCOUNT. The N.Z.C.A. will establish an Export Credit Account for those nations wishing to reciprocate. Credit exchanged will equate with the value of goods to which any reciprocal trading arrangement applies. The Export Credit Account will balance, and credit exchanged with willing nations will be provided upon consultation and in conjunction with producer organisations represented on a Board of Trade.  2. INTERNATIONAL CLEARING HOUSE. A Social Credit Government will initiate negotiations with governments of other nations to establish an International Clearing House for currency.  3. SUPERANNUATION. Any income-related superannuation schemes compulsorily imposed by Government will be repealed.  FISHING. The resources of the sea are of no less importance to the future well-being of this country than the resources of the land. It would be most undesirable if these resources were squandered merely because we are not in a position to utilise them to the full at present. In the past it has been thought that the oceans of the southern hemisphere were not as rich as those in the northern hemisphere, and as a result of this thinking New Zealand's rich oceans have not received the attention they deserve, and the few people harvesting the area have not received the assistance warranted by their efforts. The fact that the Japanese are endeavouring to exploit our seas is a sure indication that there is a rich harvest to be gleaned. A Social Credit Government will prosecute the following policy in order to ensure that the fishing industry obtains the recognition it rightly deserves.  1. RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. We shall ensure that the Scientific and Industrial Research Corporation (see Research policy) gives high priority to the research of our strategic fishing grounds, including shell fish.  (a) CHAIR OF AQUACULTURE. A Social Credit Government will establish a Chair of Aquaculture at a selected New Zealand university and encourage and extend the aquatic research facilities in New Zealand.  (b) School of Fishing. A school of fishing will be established or assisted at a selected technical training institute for the trade training of people wishing to enter the fishing industry.  (c) Marine Farming. Research into the rapid development of marine farming of shellfish stocks will be intensified.  2. TERRITORIAL LIMITS.  (a) EXTERNAL LIMITS. A Social Credit Government will endeavour by International Agreement to extend the territorial limits to a minimum of 50 miles. If necessary, this will be done by unilateral action, to protect the marine assets for the benefit of New Zealanders.  (b) SUPERVISORY CONTROL. A Social Credit Government will take urgent action by international negotiation to gain supervisory control of the waters surrounding New Zealand beyond territorial limits to a distance of 200 miles. It is in line with international agreements.  (c) THREE MILE LIMIT. A three-mile limit will be imposed around the whole of the coastline of New Zealand against all forms of power trawling and seine or purse netting.  3. NATIONAL FISHERIES BOARD. A Social Credit Government will establish a National Fisheries Board comprising men who are independent of but interested in the fishing industry, representatives of the industry, and independent scientists interested and experienced in marine life. This Board will report to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and advise on matters relating to the industry with a view to formulating and controlling policy. One facet of policy must be to ensure that every citizen has, as far as is practical, opportunity to purchase fresh fish.  4. LICENCING. Where we are not in a position to use our fishing resources at present available, fishing will be allowed under licence to overseas concerns on payment of royalty. Such licences would be granted up to a limit of the renewable supply and no further. Licences would be promptly terminated should scientific evidence show that the waters were being over-fished.  5. MANAGEMENT. Scientific investigations would be put in hand towards the implementation of fish management and fish farming.  (a) SHELLFISH. All littoral stocks of shellfish (rock oysters excepted) will be decommercialised, and marine shellfish farming in suitable areas will be encouraged for commercial purposes.  (b) ROTATIONAL HARVESTING. Zoning will be introduced for the rotational harvesting of crayfish, and permanent sanctuary zones banned at all times to exploitation of crayfish will be established.  6. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. Finance will be made available to assist the fishing industry to build up a fleet of vessels to fish the natural increase and to assist the industry generally, such as in the establishment of packing and processing facilities in order to export any surplus.  7. FISHERIES PROTECTION. We shall take all steps necessary to protect our fishing grounds from any possible damage or depredation.  FOREIGN AFFAIRS. A Social Credit Government's foreign policy will be based on New Zealand's sovereign independence of action in international relations and non-intervention in the internal affairs of other nations.  1. MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION. Social Credit will work towards the replacement of the present Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a Ministry of International Co-operation.  (a) Establish diplomatic relations with all countries irrespective of political systems or beliefs.  (b) Co-ordinate or establish cultural, sporting and people-to-people exchanges insofar as the individual rights of such groups of people are not infringed.  (c) Promote by all means possible greater International knowledge and awareness of New Zealand.  (d) Support a division of foreign affairs to attend to overseas administrative matters.  (e) Re-examine economic, trading and military agreements In the light of Independent diplomacy.  (f) Promote trading ties with under-developed countries on the basis that all people have the right to share in the wealth of the world without being used as instruments for financial and political gain.  2. CROWN AND COMMONWEALTH. A Social Credit Government will affirm our allegiance to the British Crown as head of State in New Zealand, and loyalty to the Commonwealth concept.  3. PACIFIC AREA. Although our external efforts shall be directed primarily towards the people of the South Pacific, a Social Credit Government will expand economic and cultural co-operation and communication with the nations of the Pacific Basin as a whole and S.E. Asia, and will co-operate with these nations towards their attaining social and economic self-determination. To further these ends we will:  (a) Promote trade, using a system of reciprocal credits.  (b) Reduce restrictions and tariffs on imports from these countries.  (c) Provide assistance in educational programmes.  (d) Ensure that New Zealand has its own diplomatic representation in these countries.  (e) Provide financial assistance and encouragement of local industry to create job opportunities in areas previously N.Z. dependencies.  4. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS.  (a) We shall support the United Nations Organization in its efforts to preserve peace and harmony, and will co-operate with all nations in this endeavour.  (b) We shall support the specialised agencies of the United Nations insofar as they work for true freedom, peace and economic security for peoples and nations.  (c) We are opposed to such mandatory international agreements as Bretton Woods and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade where they are against the interests of New Zealand. We will trade with other nations wishing to trade with us on a reciprocal, bilateral and mutual credit exchange basis.  (d) The repayment of all outstanding loans due to the I.M.F. will be a top priority.  5. VIETNAM. Social Credit will expend the equivalent of the past annual cost of maintaining the New Zealand establishment in Vietnam on additional civil aid for the Vietnamese people.  FORESTRY. The guidelines to any practical and effective forest policy for New Zealand are correct land usage, management for high yields, the most modern refinements of technique, and actual and potential markets. The role of our valuable native forests of Podocarpus and Notofagus (beech) cannot be minimised without danger to our watersheds, wild life and river systems. As protective forest, our native species must be preserved and extended where possible. Regional planning techniques will reveal those areas of the country best suited to large-scale afforestation and production of merchantable lumber. Such areas would include cut-over native forest, eroded bad lands, and abandoned pastoral country. Such areas under profitable utilisation would be of tremendous value to the national economy. The rate of growth of softwood conifers such as Pinus Radiata approaches the highest in the world. The yield per acre for forest products is higher than that of any agricultural or pastoral utilisation. Forestry gainfully employs a larger number of personnel per acre than agriculture. A vigorous forest industry is commensurate with a high standard of living and an internally buoyant economy. In view of the almost certain acceleration of utilisation of forest products, with expanding populations and increasing pressure on arable lands throughout the world, the possibility of a world timber shortage is no longer remote. The potential market for New Zealand forest products over the next twenty years is tremendous. New Zealand could be the largest softwood timber producer in the Southern Hemisphere.  1. TIMBER PRODUCTION.  (a) NATIVES. Selected areas of native forests will be. managed for sustained yields of highest quality purpose timber, and such plantings will be extended in all areas subject to steep slopes or which are classified as being watersheds. Supplies of native timbers will be rationed on a fair and equitable basis for the benefit of all interested industries.  (b) EXOTICS. The rate and the acreage of exotic plantings will be expanded to supply wood processing industries in New Zealand with raw materials, and so that a large export surplus of valuable and varied forest products is built up, thus saving and earning foreign exchange simultaneously. The far north will be revitalized by planting all available and suitable land with fast-growing exotics. The target will be to double the rate of forest establishment.  (c) MULTIPLE LAND USE. Acting on the necessity to promote multiple land use a Social Credit Government will initiate a programme for a balanced agricultural system involving the strategic placement of forests or stands of trees.  2. WOOD UTILIZATION. To be financially justified and for reduction of overall costs, forest industries should be large, completely mechanised and integrated into forest areas. The target should be the complete utilisation of the log for lumber, paper pulp, wood distillation products, dyes, fuels, plastics, paints, oils, emulsions, wood proteins and sugars, alcohols, etc. Such a policy would guarantee vital raw materials for our industries and save appreciable purchases of oils and fuels from abroad. The beech forests will be for the benefit of New Zealand and not overseas concerns.  3. EXPORTS. We believe that timber exports will one day come to be of vastly increased importance. We shall plan towards at least six major additional forests (of 150,000 acres or more) distributed throughout New Zealand as the basis for very large wood using industries.  4. TIMBER PRICE STRUCTURE.  (a) To see that the grower obtains a proper return for his labour, we shall establish floor prices for timber, publicly promulgated.  (b) To see that the buyer obtains value for money, we intend to assist the industry in every way to improve its practices.  5. FARM FORESTRY AND LOCAL BODY FORESTS. Incentives for the establishment of forests by farmers and other organisations will be increased.  (a) BOARDS OF MANAGEMENT. We shall set up local Boards of Management which will be charged with assisting farm forestry; administering the F.F. loan scheme and act as a selling agent for timber and other forest products grown on farms etc. These Boards will provide expert contracting services.  (b) FUNDS. Funds will be made available for establishing forest stands on Maori land, in similar fashion to the present farm forestry loans scheme.  (c) BEAUTIFICATION. Certain types and stands of trees can help beautify the countryside. We propose to invite the nursery trade to co-operate with the Boards of Management in this matter.  (a) TREES FOR FARMING. The farming community needs a supply of cheap reliable trees. We intend to co-operate with the nursery trade to see that these are freely available.  (b) SPECIAL MARKETS. We believe that several special markets for timber can be supplied by farmers better than by large enterprises or the state, for example, veneer woods, poplars etc. We intend to promote this aspect by the provision of high quality seed sources. These will be devoted  principally to those items which are now imported and which are likely to become unavailable from overseas in the future.  TAXATION. Private individuals will be allowed to charge the cost of forest plantation development against income tax purposes. Income from farm forestry may be spread over a five-year period at normal rates of taxation.  6. COMPANY FORESTRY. We intend to provide the incentives for private afforestation in connection with utilisation plants. Companies will be invited to submit proposals, each of which will have to be treated on its merits. Where these are approved, long-term loans at nominal rates of interest will be available. This will be a far cheaper way of promoting afforestation than State Forests. In certain circumstances land will also made available.  7. IMPORTS. We consider that, with very rare exceptions, we should not be dependent on timber imports. We intend to discuss this matter with the trade and work out means for producing the necessary grades and qualities of timber in this country with the object, in due course, of growing similar material for export when internal needs have been met.  8. BEECH FORESTS. The beech forests will be for the benefit of New Zealand and not overseas interests.  HEALTH. The World Health Organization definition of health is: "Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being and not just the absence of disease". In our view mental and social well-being require that the individual must enjoy a sense of self-respect and personal dignity, and in turn the individual must protect the self-respect and dignity of all other individuals. This is one of the key principles upon which our policy is built. Others include: an emphasis on preventive medicine, a health system centred more on the role of the general practitioner, decentralization of administration and the need for local autonomy, operational efficiency, support for voluntary organizations, small hospitals to serve local community needs, research, and freedom of choice. League policy is linked very carefully to other policies which include the health and welfare of the individual person. For example, the policy on the environment contains many points on remedying adverse environmental factors affecting, especially, mental and social health. Our policy on industrial relations is also concerned with the wholesome health of workers in industry and the improvement of working conditions. While the community as a whole must be protected from exposure to infectious disease adverse environmental factors causing illness, disease and sickness are very personal matters to individual people. Therefore the community must be concerned with the protection of his or her health, the economic security of the person, and the sense that society is geared to respect him and meet his needs. A health policy based on the general practitioner is the one most likely to meet the criteria implied in our definition of health.  A STATE SYSTEM. While the state has a responsibility to provide for the basic health care of all its citizens Social Credit certainly does not believe in a monolithic, highly-bureaucratic structure such as that proposed in the 1975 White Paper. Indeed, the health system needs freedom to grow, and if it is to grow and work out its own destiny in research and its application to the improvement of human well-being, then it must become progressively freer from the restrictions of state control. We are extremely concerned, therefore, with the overtones of political interference in the White Paper, the domination of the proposed Regional Councils by Government appointees, and the removal of hospital control from local hands. We must avoid such a national health scheme as in Britain which is in a state of near collapse. An entirely free, socialised system would absolve patients from involvement and would give patients no control over selecting their doctors, this is a vital factor in any so called democracy. We also view with dismay the implicit policy of taking over or phasing out the independent hospital for we believe that in both these and the trust hospital have a definite place in our society. Once the basic needs of the people are met then the right of free choice must be made available.  URGENT NEEDS. Social Credit sees the following urgent needs in the health system: the need for more doctors, more nurses, (better conditions and better salaries), and more technicians; greater incentives to encourage medical personnel to continue their studies and keep abreast of modern developments; preventive medicine, and incentives to attract doctors to rural areas. To help the bed shortage we will provide interest-free loans for the construction of new buildings to ease the financial situation of many Boards. And we believe that more attention should be paid to full outpatient facilities. If these departments were properly planned a considerable saving of hospital beds would result. Many beds occupied by geriatric patients could be released for urgent surgical cases once our policies for such patients were in operation. For example, a subsidy for church and charitable homes would enable those other than the wealthy to be accommodated.  ANCILLARY MEDICAL SERVICES. In an age of increasing complexity, the technical knowledge of those engaged in ancillary services must be improved. Towards this end, and so that the right calibre of individual will be attracted to these most necessary branches of medicine, diploma or degree courses at university level will be introduced. Technicians at present engaged in these ancillary services have little or no professional standing, but with the introduction of diploma courses, etc. they would acquire professional status and be required to accept the true responsibilities of professionalism. Their monetary reward would also have to be comparable to that of other professional groups in society.  1. MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD. We shall establish an independent Advisory body to review the operational efficiency of the various aspects of the health services. At least 50 per cent of the members of the body will be medical men who are actively engaged in the profession, and its findings will be published, including recommendations for further developments.  2. HEALTH EDUCATION CAMPAIGN. We shall institute a Government-sponsored programme to carry a health institute campaign to the people and to the schools. This would include special reference to the harmful effects of cigarette smoking.  3. NO COMPULSORY MEDICATION. We do not believe in compulsory medication except during an emergency situation, on the grounds that this is contrary to the fundamental principles of democracy.  4. PUBLIC HOSPITALS.  (a) HOSPITAL BOARDS' IDENTITY. Hospital Boards shall retain their identity in larger regional groupings. Amalgamations forced by inflation inherent in orthodox financial techniques will be reviewed after financial reform, with a view to restoring autonomy. With the restoration of greater autonomy to Hospital Boards we would recommend that Medical Advisory Committees be attached to all Hospital Boards. These Committees will consist of hospital doctors and other local doctors whose patients are cared for in these hospitals.  (b) ADMINISTRATION. In order to reduce the amount of paper work and bureaucracy in the running of hospitals, we shall encourage a maximum delegation of real responsibility to competent Hospital Boards, and we shall do everything possible to speed up central decisions where these are necessary.  (c) BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT. New buildings and equipment will be given high priority in order to meet the needs of our expanding population. The cost will be met from interest-free money.  (d) FUTURE FACILITIES. In future building programmes, more attention will be paid to full outpatient facilities, with adequate consulting and operating rooms and a certain number of day recovery beds. If these departments were properly planned, a considerable saving of hospital beds would result.  (e) HOSPITAL CRECHES. Maternity and general hospitals will be provided with creches supervised by salaried staff, for the benefit of patients' visitors.  (f) HOSPITAL CAR PARKS. Provision will be made for adequate car parks and covered assembly areas for visitors using public transport.  (g) DORMITORY-TYPE WARDS CONVERSION. Hospital Boards will be granted finance to convert the dormitory-type of wards into relatively private cubicles.  (h) COTTAGE-TYPE MATERNITY HOSPITALS. Hospital Boards will be provided with finance to establish cottage-type maternity hospitals where required for normal deliveries, within a radius of 40 miles from a base obstetric hospital.  5. GENERAL PRACTITIONERS.  (a) GENERAL PRACTICE ESTABLISHMENT. Finance for general practitioners wishing to establish solo practices will be available on terms at least as favourable as those available to group practices.  (b) GENERAL PRACTICE NURSES. While we support the concept of the practice nurse subsidized on the basis of work off-loaded from the general practitioner, we oppose the growth of a second-class tier of medical service based on a shortage of general practitioners.  (c) ACCESS TO PUBLIC HOSPITALS. We believe that Hospital Boards should be encouraged to allow local practitioners who wish to look after their own patients to do so. Suitable safeguards must be provided and the local practitioners would be helped by the local specialists.  (d) MEDICAL FEE SUBSIDY. The patient subsidy on medical fees will be two-thirds of the average common fee. In the case of age beneficiaries and people on economic benefits, the Treasury is to meet the full fee. In the case of dependent children the patient subsidy will be five-sixths of the average common fee.  (e) RURAL MEDICAL SERVICE. General practitioners working in isolated areas or sparsely-populated areas will be paid an adequate remoteness allowance where this may be necessary.  (f) RURAL SOLO PRACTICE. Solo general practitioners will be entitled to a free half day every week, and one weekend in two free without penalty. When patients are obliged to travel longer distances for medical care when the local doctor is off duty, mileage and other costs involved will be refunded.  (g) DOCTOR'S TRAVELLING. Patient subsidy for doctor's travelling time will be increased calculated from the surgery to the nearest general practitioner on duty.  (h) MEDICAL SCHOOL FACILITIES. We shall make finance available to expand existing medical school facilities and authorize the employment of adequate teaching staff to meet projected demands.  6. NURSES AND OTHER MEDICAL STAFF.  (a) SALARIES REVIEW. We shall review salaries of full-time hospital officers in the light of salaries earned by specialists and general practitioners not engaged in hospital work. This review will include other hospital officers and the nursing profession, and not only those officers with medical degrees. These reviews will be made in order to retain the services of these highly qualified officers in the hospital service, and it is intended to bring salaries into line with those obtaining in industry and civilian life.  (b) REFRESHER COURSES. We shall encourage full-time hospital officers to avail themselves of overseas refresher courses.  (c) GENERAL PRACTICE NURSES. While we support the concept of the practice nurse subsidized on the basis of work off-loaded from the general practitioner, we oppose the growth of a second-class tier of medical service based on a shortage of general practitioners.  7. SPECIALISTS.  (a) PATIENT SUBSIDY FOR SPECIALIST CARE. Patient subsidy for specialist care will be paid at the same ratio as for general practitioners. Specialists will also be able to claim mileage outside town or city boundaries calculated from the main office of the nearest specialist in that particular field. .  (b) CLAIM FOR SPECIALIST BENEFIT. To claim a specialist benefit for the patient, the specialist must have a letter of referral from the general practitioner.  (c) SPECIALIST NURSE SUBSIDY. Specialists will be entitled to a practice nurse subsidy on the same basis as general practitioners.  8. RESEARCH.  (a) MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. We shall create an independent Medical Research Council composed of scientists and provide it with sufficient funds to allow unorthodox methods of treatment to be accorded research facilities.  (b) CANCER AND CARDIAC RESEARCH. That since highly frequent causes of death in New Zealand are cancer and heart disease, and the extent of research into these areas can no longer be left largely to fortuitous private charity, a Social Credit Government will establish immediately a Cancer Research Centre and a Cardiac Research Centre, independent of Government control so as to be both university and hospital based.  (c) SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH. A Social Credit Government will establish by direct and annual grants a university-based Sociological Research Centre. It will be appropriately and adequately staffed by psychologists, sociologists and medical specialists, on both a permanent and consultative basis. The Sociological Centre will conduct research into the serious social problems of:  (a) Mental Health.  (b) Alcoholism.  (c) Drug addiction.  (d) Contraception.  (e) Illegitimacy and abortion.  (f) Homosexuality and lesbianism.  (g) Crime and violence.  The Sociological Centre will also recommend appropriate legislative reform and other remedies.  (a) OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARDS. A division of the Department of Health will be established to examine all aspects of occupational health, with particular reference to noise levels, toxic gases and other hazardous by-products of industrial processes.  (b) RESEARCH INTO CURATIVE METHODS. Curative methods not requiring drug use will be encouraged and research on these methods will be carried out, e.g. acupuncture, hypnotherapy, chiropractic, homeopathy, etc.  9. MENTAL HEALTH. Our psychiatric services are insufficient in quantity, poor in quality, and out of date. The medical profession is united in its understanding of the defects of the present system, and Social Credit submits the following propositions which we believe will rectify the present chaotic situation.  LEGAL REFORM.  (a) We shall set up an independent Committee to investigate the need for legal reform relating to mental health. This reform will be divided into five main categories:  (i) Certification procedure.  (ii) Patients' property rights and civil rights.  (ii) Review of patients' conditions from time to time.  (iv) Administration of Mental Hospitals.  PROFESSIONAL POSTS.  (b) We shall set up two professional psychiatric posts in New Zealand. One will be concerned with undergraduate training at the Otago University Medical School, and the other will be for the purpose of providing adequate training for qualified practitioners wishing to specialise in psychiatry. It is reasonable to suggest that the Professor responsible for graduate training should be in one of the centres where a Mental Hospital exists. A close liaison between general hospitals could then develop.  TRAINING.  (c) We shall provide training under the Professional Board for psychiatric workers, teachers and speech and occupational therapists. Until such a scheme can be implemented, we shall make every effort to find extra psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric social workers from other countries.  BEDS.  (d) There should be at least 25 beds for psychiatric patients in general hospitals per 100000 of the regional population, served with adequately staffed outpatients' departments.  MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS.  (e) We would foster the establishment of Mental Health Associations to assist in the after-care and rehabilitation of mental hospital patients.  SMALL HOSPITALS.  (f) We believe that present official policy has a misguided emphasis on extending residential accommodation and a mistaken preference for large institutions. Both are opposed to modern opinion, and to trends elsewhere. We would concentrate on small, more widely spread hospitals to deal with acute cases. In addition, we would foster the growth of a number of modest country-house type institutions to which patients may be taken during the day, and from which patients could go each day to suitable work. We oppose the use of the larger Mental Hospitals for purposes of geriatric care.  SPECIALIST BENEFIT.  (g) We propose that a psychiatric specialist benefit should be introduced for patients referred by a general practitioner and a day hospital benefit for psychiatric patients attending private day treatment.  ALLOWANCE.  (h) We shall increase the allowance from the Social Security Fund to long-term patients.  SALARIES.  (i) The psychiatric staff coming under the control of the hospital boards will retain the rate of remuneration and other privileges enjoyed under the Health Department.  10. MENTAL DEFICIENCY SERVICES. A good deal of this section would be integrated with the previous section.  NOMENCLATURE.  (a) We believe that there should be some alteration to the nomenclature of the mental deficiency diseases, and that certain types should be made notifiable. The procedure for admission and subsequent reassessment should be drastically revised and a disabled persons' register should be established.  (b) EXTRAMURAL SERVICE. We believe that there should be an expansion of extramural service with the aim of rehabilitating and supporting mental defectives in ordinary society. Cases requiring residential care would receive it in neighbouring hostels or large houses converted for the purpose. To encourage and facilitate extramural care in the interests of the patient, and to discourage too early admission to institutions particularly for children, we will:  - Increase the child allowance to parents of mentally defective children and physically handicapped children.  - Allocate realistic levels of payment to foster parents.  - Establish a register of suitable foster homes.  We will ensure that the Community service would be administered with considerable local autonomy and with the participation of voluntary bodies, parents, medical and other professional workers, as well as representatives of hospitals and educational boards.  I. H. C.  (c) We believe that the Intellectually Handicapped Children's Society should be entitled to 100 per cent subsidy in the establishment and running of training 'facilities for intellectually handicapped children, provided there are at least six children in a community requiring such assistance.  RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTIONS.  (d) Residential institutions would either supply special education, remedial specialists, vocational training, sheltered workshops or have access to them in the extramural services in the neighbourhood. Their functioning would be integrated with the latter, especially through the agency of the psychiatric workers.  11. CARE FOR THE AGED. Community Fellowship Cottages. More community fellowship cottages, staffed by a family living in, will be established to house small groups of elderly citizens who can no longer cope on their own, but do not yet need fulltime nursing care. Community Fellowship Cottage Finance And Administration. Community fellowship cottages will be financed with zero interest loans through local bodies, and rent collected will be used to pay the staffing family. Local bodies will be responsible for maintaining acceptable standards of care.  12. CHIROPRACTORS. Chiropractic will be accepted as an integral part of the health service provided chiropractors are willing to teach symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of spinal derangements at recognised medical schools and also receive relevant instruction themselves from medical schools.  (a) PATIENT SUBSIDY. Chiropractors will be regarded as eligible for patient subsidy.  13. PRIVATE HOSPITALS. PATIENT SUBSIDY.  A. Patient Subsidy. An adequate daily subsidy will be provided for each resident in a Church or Charitable home (non-profit-making) so that a twenty-four nursing service can be provided for all at a reasonable cost. This would mean that those other than the wealthy can be accommodated.  B. LOAN FINANCE. Loan Finance. We shall provide money at low rates of interest to private and maternity hospitals for renovations, improvements or new buildings.  14. ADDICTIVE DRUGS  (a) The Health Department will be the sole importer of addictive drugs, and they will be held under bond at public hospitals.  (b) The Public Education Programme on the dangers and misuse of all drugs will be extended.  (c) Free clinics for the confidential, medical and psychological treatment of addicts will be established.  15. SEXUAL DISORDERS. Free clinics will be established for the confidential medical and psychological treatment of sexual disorders.  16. VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS. Social Credit recognizes the value of voluntary organizations such as the Plunket Society, the Crippled Children's Society, Alcoholics Associations, Health Camps and the like, and will therefore ensure that sufficient finance is made available for them to function efficiently. Consultation with these organizations can prove most valuable as liaison between patients and the profession.  17. HELICOPTER TRANSPORT. Helicopters will be used in New Zealand much more freely as a medical rescue service wherever possible to save suffering.  HOUSING. We believe that the family unit is the most important social factor for a stable, prosperous and united nation. The individual is largely the product of his environment, and therefore high priority will be given by a Social Credit Government to improving housing standards. To ensure that existing services are utilized to the full, to reduce the cost of providing essential services, and to contain urban sprawl within reasonable bounds, it is essential that a new architectural approach be made to ensure that the privacy of the individual is protected, whilst planning for higher density living. Home ownership will be encouraged to the full. Private enterprise, local bodies and central Government should combine to provide the pressing needs for rental accommodation. We believe that a number of present-day social problems can be overcome by ensuring that an integrated cross-section of the community is provided for in all housing development planning.  1. TOWN PLANNING.  (a) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. Town planning legislation will be rewritten to provide for public participation before plans are prepared, and provide a fully unified approach to the urban community environment, e.g. to encourage multi-use buildings.  (b) BALANCED COMMUNITIES. The Minister for Housing will ensure that all new housing projects become balanced communities.  (c) TOWN PLANNING PROFESSION. The Town Planning profession will be encouraged to broaden its professional expertise by including studies in social and community living.  (d) NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. No new housing development will be permitted until a proper community social development plan is approved.  (e) USER RESEARCH. Continuous user research will be carried out in all new building development.  2. URBAN DEVELOPMENT (See also policy on Natural Resources Sec. 28(b)  Communities for People).  (a) As there is only a limited amount of first class land in New Zealand the emphasis will be on the use of second and third class land for housing. The concept of the satellite suburb or township, with the provision of first class rail and road communications to serve them, will be fostered.  (b) In order to utilize our land to the best advantage, all land adjacent to major cities and boroughs, when offered for sale or subdivision, will be purchased by the Crown at a negotiated price. Following classification of the said areas, titles will be issued with sufficient protection to ensure the best possible usage.  3. RE-DEVELOPMENT. The prime function of local bodies and Government should be in the field of reconstruction. In larger towns and cities there are decaying areas which require reconstruction. Finance will be made available to local bodies undertaking this type of work.  4. HOUSING CORPORATION. The Housing Corporation will ensure that:  (a) The interest rate will be no more than three per cent.  (b) Any proposition will be treated on its merits, whether it be for a new dwelling or for renovating or extending an existing one.  (c) The assistance of an architect in the drawing of plans and specifications can be included in the loan.  (d) There will be no fixed limit for loan propositions, but restrictions will be determined rather on the ability to meet charges.  (e) Loans for houses on leasehold land will be dealt with on an equal basis to those on land held in fee simple.  (f) Raising a House to make flats. Loans will be made available to raise a house provided that a flat or flats are constructed underneath.  5. COMPULSORY ACQUISITION. Where a house is taken by compulsory acquisition under the Public Works Act, the Crown will be required to rehouse the dispossessed persons in conditions at least equivalent to those in which the person dispossessed is at present housed.  6. RURAL HOUSING. In country areas and rural towns we shall expedite the building of accommodation for civil servants, school teachers and other rural workers to ensure adequate services to the rural community.  7. STAMP DUTY. It will be our ultimate aim to exempt from stamp duty the first purchase of a house to be occupied by the purchaser up to the sum of $18000.  8. HOUSING FOR AGED PARENTS. We will assist people to provide accommodation for their parents, if they are in receipt of the age benefit, in the following ways:  (a) By introducing legislation to enable the construction of self-contained flats for parents as an addition to the existing home owned by the family.  (b) Finance for these flats will be made available up to half of which will be an interest-free suspensory loan so long as the flat is occupied by one or both of the parents. A Social Credit Government will allow the individual taxpayer to charge the cost of interest charges, rates and maintenance of his her own home (in which his her family lives) against taxable income up to a maximum of $500 a year.  INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS. A Social Credit economy provides the groundwork for a type of employer employee relationship which has hitherto been unattainable in an order of society based on a system of finance unable to meet the requirements of modern industrial progress. We see a proper relationship as one in which no member of our society benefits unless he benefits others; in which all members, according to their contribution of effort and skill, receive their fair and proper share of the standard of living they make possible; in which wage earners re-assert their dignity, and self-respect as vital members of the productive community together with their fellows in business management, farming and the professions, all engaged in the task of building a better New Zealand which we may all enjoy. Social Credit believes in the principle of mutual employer/ worker shareholding and profit-sharing and worker participation in industrial management.  1. INCOMES. We shall ensure that wage earners receive an income from their basic weekly employment which is adequate to provide a good standard of living  for themselves and their families.  2. INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS. Industrial relations will be based on the principle of encouraging industrial co-operation and harmony between workers and employers, unions and management through negotiated terms. A Social Credit Government will play an active role in apparently irreconcilable industrial disputes. Social Credit will establish a scheme for industrial employees to acquire part ownership of the capital in the industry in which they are employed.  3. TRADE UNIONS. We acknowledge the right of all workers to organize and strive to improve their conditions, rates of pay and hours of work. We also see trade unions as a source of knowledge and skill co-operating with industrial management to achieve greater progress for all. A Social Credit Government will encourage unions to re-form on an industry basis.  INDUSTRIAL COUNCILS. Industrial Councils will bargain for and represent all workers at the one place of work. These new Industrial Councils will be expected to affiliate with the Federation of Labour which must continue to represent all wage earners at the national level.  FORMATION OF INDUSTRIAL COUNCILS. An Industrial Council will .be established at the place of work when a majority of workers so resolve by secret ballot supervised by the Labour Department. Any 5% of wage and salary earners at the one place of work may demand in writing of the Labour Department that a secret ballot be held for the purpose of forming an Industrial Council.  INDUSTRIAL TRUSTS. Industrial Councils will be authorized to appoint by election specialist people as the members of an Industrial Trust, which will be responsible to worker-shareholders for the administration of their shares.  FUNCTIONS OF INDUSTRIAL TRUSTS.  (a) To maintain a register which will record the number of fully-paid shares individually owned by every employee over the age of 18 years and after one year's service.  (b) To accept limited liability for advances made at a minimal service charge by the New Zealand Credit Authority and which are invested as either productive or social capital in real company assets.  (a) To repay social capital loans from profit income at a rate determined from time to time by Government policy.  (b) Ensure that as company shares are free of liability they are progressively allocated to individual employees.  (c) Upon request to purchase, at market or independent valuation, the shares of people who leave the employment of the company and to automatically purchase the shares of a deceased person unless registered in the name of a husband and wife when purchase will apply upon survivor's death.  (d) To transfer the shares of people who leave or retire and do not wish to sell, to a special nonvoting but dividend-bearing category.  (e) To appoint from among their number initially, at least 25% of the members of the company board of directors, such representation to eventually equal employee shareholding with voting rights, to a maximum of 50% of total company shareholding.  (f) To make representations, at board level, on behalf of employees, as to the proportion of investment desired between improving the social and physical environment and increasing productive capacity.  (g) The directors appointed to represent the members of Industrial Councils will regularly inform their shareholders of the progress of the company and the reasons far policy decisions made by the board of directors.  SERVICE INDUSTRIES.  (a) Those sections of public controlled organizations which actually utilize productive capital for the sale of goods or services at profit, will be separately organized and designated as Trading Corporations with power to trade under conditions similar to those applying in the private sector.  (b) Trading corporations will be required to obtain at least 50% of the money required for productive capital by the sale of non-voting shares to investors.  (c) Trading Corporations will be expected to service their liabilities of social capital loans and investor capital so as to give a return to all of their shareholders at a level similar to that applying in the private sector.  (d) Trading Corporations which are given to operate with low-risk monopoly status will be subject to price control which will allow for a return on financial capital at 5%.  (e) Trading Corporations which are charged with selling an essential service to the public would be subsidized by Government when the social benefits from a given service outweigh the economic losses sustained in providing adequate services to decentralized industries when the location of these industries has high social and environmental benefits.  (f) Trading Corporations will be administered by an elected or appointed Board to accept social and productive financial capital from Industrial Trusts with similar worker shareholding rights and Board representation as is applied in the private sector.  (g) In special situations where Industrial Trusts could not directly associate with either a company or Trading Corporation, these Trusts will be empowered to operate as trading entities in their own right. N.B. A trading Trust which services a waterfront would organize occupationally integrated co-operative groupings of people who would provide a package service to importers and exporters. The profits from such trading will service the social and productive capital required to further the social and economic well-being of all people who work at a port.  (h) People whose work denies them any possibility of being associated with a trading organization because of its strictly service nature (e.g. such as those whose chosen career is in government and local body work) will be empowered to establish Trusts which would invest social capital to provide amenities and facilities for members. Liability for social capital advances made to these Trusts would be guaranteed by the employer in conjunction with employees.  (i) In all cases that any trading organization is operating an approved worker-shareholding scheme for Industrial Councils and Industrial Trusts, such trading organization will be designated as a co-operative and will not be liable for any taxation at the company level. In all cases tax would be paid once only, in the hands of the individual shareholder.  4. MINISTER FOR LABOUR. The Ministry of Labour will be considered a fulltime portfolio.  5. CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION. We affirm our endorsement of the principle of conciliation and arbitration in the settlement of industrial disputes. We shall investigate the provisions and administration of the present Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and carry out such revisions as may be found desirable to expedite prompt action in dealing with industrial disputes.  6. REDUNDANCY. We uphold the principle of full employment. All wage earners displaced for any reason, whether from economic conditions or from automation, will be paid their award rate until other employment is available. In order to receive the award rate the worker will be required to enrol in an approved retraining programme designed to equip him for a more productive and remunerative occupation. If, however, a retrained worker refuses employment near his home and suited to his capabilities, he will cease to receive the award rate. Such employment may include attendance at a training establishment. When a skilled industry closes down, society should pay the social cost of re-establishing the people concerned in another area so that their skills are not wasted.  7. AUTOMATION. Social Credit welcomes automation because its enlightened financial policy is geared to receive it. The wage earner need have nothing to fear from automation, as his income is assured and will have more buying power to allow his full participation in the increased national standards of living which will result. Automation will be fostered to replace human energy in repetitive dirty, unpleasant and dangerous jobs, such as freezing works.  8. WORKING CONDITIONS. The financial system will be reformed to allow non-inflationary investment in the social capital required to improve working conditions. Properly constituted companies will be advanced loans at a service charge only for investment in social capital under conditions similar to that applying under Social Credit Local Body policy.  9. MARGIN FOR SKILL. It will be our object to establish thirty-three and one-third per cent as the margin between skilled and unskilled workers after consultation with trade unions and industry.  10. WORKER SHAREHOLDING.  (a) Participating companies will re-construct their ordinary capital so that the face value of shares issued to existing shareholders corresponds with the intrinsic value of net assets and for eventual equal shareholding between workers and investors.  (b) The present financial system will be reformed to allow advances to be made of social capital at a service charge only to participating companies.  (c) Advances made of social capital will be guaranteed by issued company shares held in the name of an industrial trust; such shares will be progressively transferred to individual workers as they are freed of liability by the progressive repayment of advances from retained profits.  (d) Profits will be free of tax when transferred to industrial trusts for the purpose of repaying social capital loans, and thus freeing workershares of liability.  (e) Taxation on retained profits will be progressively increased so as to eliminate the reserves method of accumulating financial capital.  (f) All dividends paid on the shares of participating companies will eventually be free of tax at the company level.  (g) Long term company borrowing of investment monies at fixed interest charges will be restricted to the land value of company assets.  (h) The maximum amount possible of financial capital required for investment in productive assets will be obtained by the sale of ordinary shares to the investing public.  (i) Industry will be encouraged to accept responsibility for the security and welfare of people.  11. SUPERANNUATION. Any income-related superannuation scheme, compulsorily imposed by Government, will be repealed.  12. SAFETY. Present legislation on the subject of industrial safety will be revised and strengthened in its administration so that it may better safeguard workers against accidents and also minimise the loss to industry of valuable man-hours.  13. EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. We shall foster and assist the expansion of industrial research and training to improve the natural efficiency and ability of New Zealand workers. Scholarships will be made available to enable them to study and train overseas.  (a) Courses in industrial relations will be included in any management study programmes at established New Zealand Universities.  (b) Top priority will be given to the establishment at Technical Institutes of training courses for key personnel in industry, e.g. overseers, foremen. These courses will teach the skills the jobs require.  14. HUMAN AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS. A Social Credit Government will encourage industry to employ and, where necessary, provide qualified personnel to deal with the human and social problems encountered by participants in industrial and commercial activities, e.g. plant nurses, medical officers, psychologists, chaplains, and personnel trained in improving the industrial environment.  15. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH. A division of the Department of Health will be established to examine all aspects of occupational health, with particular reference to noise levels, toxic gases and other hazardous by-products of industrial processes.  16. CO-OPERATIVE ENTERPRISE. We favour the principle of co-operative enterprise. In the case of monopoly in any industry we shall actively assist in the formation of co-operative supply organizations so that small operators will be free from the dictates of monopoly groups.  17. BUSINESS FINANCE. We shall financially assist suitably-qualified workers wishing to establish their own businesses. This will be available under conditions similar to those provided under the rehabilitation scheme for ex-servicemen.  18. HOLIDAYS. We shall arrange a meeting of interested parties to study the possibility of staggering annual holidays throughout the year in order to ensure the provision of adequate services at all times. There will be a minimum of three weeks' annual leave for all workers permanently employed.  19. FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK. Social Credit will move towards the four-day working week in order to help promote its policy, full use of automation and the development of greater opportunities for leisure. This would be related to a strong and positive programme at local, regional and national level for helping people to use their leisure constructively, for self-development and self-expression.  20. WORKERS' TRANSPORT. A Social Credit Government will allow individual taxpayers to charge cost of travel to and from work against taxable income. The maximum amount will be not more than required costs of travel by public transport. Maximum $300.  LAW REFORM. The emphasis in this section on the rights of the citizen in his encounters with administrative authority stems not from any desire to deprecate the legitimate functions of government but rather because the scales appear at times to be unduly weighted against the citizen. It ils difficult to believe that fair administration is attainable only at the price of weak or in-efficient government. In the words of the Franks Committee: Administration must not only be efficient in the sense that the objectives of policy are securely attained without delay. It must also satisfy the general body of citizens that it is proceeding with reasonable regard to the balance between the public interest which it promotes and the private interests which it disturbs. G. S. Orr, Report on Administrative Justice in New Zealand. The purpose of this policy is to put forward means by which this balance may better be maintained.  1. ADMINISTRATION DIVISION OF THE SUPREME COURT. We strongly support the establishment of an Administrative Division of the Supreme Court to replace appeal authorities, and right of appeal will be granted from all administrative tribunals to this Division.  2. PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE OF ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNALS. A general code will be introduced to regulate the practice and procedure of administrative tribunals. Certain basic procedures to ensure a fair hearing should be followed by all tribunals unless for good cause expressly exempted. These include such matters as notice of the time, place and issues; evidence; public hearings; legal representation; privilege; and a requirement that findings and reasons be supplied either as of right or on timely request. Tribunals will remain free to prescribe detailed rules.  3. RIGHT TO A HEARING. We shall ensure that any person whose rights, (d)  property or livelihood are adversely affected by administrative action or the exercise of statutory powers is first entitled to a hearing. There will be a right of appeal to the Administrative Division of the Supreme Court as to the right to a hearing and the adequacy of any hearing afforded. In addition, a provision requiring a hearing before the grant, revocation, suspension or modification of any licence will be enacted.  4. JUDICIAL REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS. A simple uniform method of review will be introduced to replace the prerogative writs and actions for injunctions and declarations, and the grounds for review will be codified and extended to include all errors of law. The Administrative Division of the Supreme Court will hear all applications for review of administrative decisions subject to a right of appeal to the Court of Appeal.  5. APPEALS AGAINST ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS. We shall establish a right of appeal to the Administrative Division of the Supreme Court in the areas of the greatest friction between the public, Government Departments and local bodies, to be determined on the recommendations of the Ombudsman.  8. THE OMBUDSMAN. The Ombudsman will be appointed as a member of the Administrative Division of the Supreme Court and the conditions of his appointment as Ombudsman will be equated with those of a Judge of the Supreme Court. It is not envisaged that the Ombudsman would sit on the general run of cases coming before this Division, but that his services would be called upon at the discretion of the Chief Justice to sit on those cases where the experience accumulated in his capacity as Parliamentary Commissioner would be of particular value and assistance to the Court. The jurisdiction of the Ombudsman will be extended to cover all local bodies, public corporations such as the National Airways Corporation and the B.C.N.Z., the Universities and a far wider range of matters arising within the armed forces.  7. CITIZENS' RIGHTS  (a) PROTECTION FROM COMPUTERS. A social Credit Government will protect the individual rights of people from being infringed by computer data usage.  (b) DOCTORS' FILES. Neither police nor anyone else will have unrestricted access to doctors' private files or files in public or private hospitals on their patients. Police may, through a magistrate's warrant be empowered to ask for the specific files of a person under criminal investigation.  (c) ANTI-BUGGING. The right of the individual will be protected by the institution of further anti-bugging laws.  (d) POLICE EVIDENCE. In order that both the individual and the police  be protected, confessions of accused persons in criminal cases shall not be put in evidence unless taken in the presence of the accused's solicitor, a Justice of the Peace, a welfare officer or other person who will see fair play.  (e) POLICE INTERVIEWS. Police interviews tape-recorded in duplicate in the presence of the accused's lawyer will be admitted as evidence in a court of law, one copy to be held by the prosecution and one by the defence.  (f) RESTITUTION. Legislation will be introduced to readjust penalties for crimes against property and the person in such a way as to further shift the emphasis from fines and imprisonment to restitution to the injured party, provided that such alteration in emphasis stops short of the point which would involve indirect penalties for the innocent dependents of the offender.  8. DRUG ADDICTION. A clear distinction will be made in law between soft and hard drugs, the penalties for the selling and use of the latter being substantially increased, particularly in the case of sale to minors. In accordance with Social Credit's philosophy the following logical and humane proposals will form the basis for the necessary legislation under a Social Credit Government.  (a) Remove some of the anomalies in the present laws relating to social drugs.  (b) Eliminate the "hard" drug peddlers, their black market prices and the crime associated with both.  (c) Unjust Restrictions. Remove some of the unjust restrictions on what can only be described, after all, as a personal concern, thus reducing to some extent State interference in the private affairs of the individual.  (d) Provide increased public education in the hazards of the misuse of drugs.  (e) Encourage more "hard" addicts to seek medical aid.  (f) Printed Warnings. To ensure that social drugs carry clearly printed and conspicuous warnings of the possible health hazards involved in their use.  (g) Access to Drugs. We will make available through clinics to registered addicts only, at normal prices, other drugs required.  (h) Drug Addiction Classification. Classify drug addiction as an offence only if the addict is unregistered.  (i) Treatment for Addicts. Give every encouragement and opportunity to registered addicts to undergo medical and/or psychological treatment - such treatment to be free.  (j) Committal of Drug Addicts. Establish a mechanism for the committal of drug addicts in a serious medical or mental condition, such as patients to be treated at special clinics established for this purpose.  9. PRISON REFORM.  (a) PRISONERS' WAGES. Prisoners who are able and willing to work during their sentence will be paid the equivalent of award wages of the occupation for which they are employed in the prison. These payments will be made to their families or to compensate their victims.  (b) PRISONERS' leave. Home leave for prisoners will be granted monthly to approved prisoners, in every gaol centre.  (c) PRE-RELEASE HOSTELS. Social Credit will encourage the establishment of pre-release hostels for prisoners in every gaol centre, to help them fit more easily into society.  10. COURTS.  (a) DUTY SOLICITORS. Duty Solicitors will be appointed in all Courts to ensure that all prisoners receive adequate legal advice.  (b) COURT WELFARE OFFICERS. Special welfare officers will be appointed to Courts and gaols and they, with the police, will share access to and responsibility for, the accused from the time of arrest until he is brought before the Court, and eventually released.  (c) COURT FINES. All fines payable as a result of Court action will be determined as a percentage of a person's income rather than a flat fee.  (d) PROBATION OFFICERS. In recognition of their importance to the community Social Credit will upgrade conditions of employment for probation officers and increase their numbers.  11. MARRIAGE LAW REFORM  (a) Legislation will be implemented to provide for contractual union.  (b) For matrimonial proceedings a Social Credit Government will replace the present judicial proceedings with Family Courts.  (c) The first consideration of the Family Court shall be the welfare of the children.  (d) There shall be only one ground for divorce: the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.  (e) The Social Welfare Department will have the sole responsibility for paying and collecting maintenance and alimony.  (f) Social Credit supports the division of present maintenance into maintenance and alimony.  (g) Where there are no dependent children alimony shall cease when the divorce has been made absolute.  (h) In property settlements all assets acquired during marriage shall be equally divided. Assets of either party acquired prior to marriage or inherited during marriage will remain the property of the individual concerned.  (i) The minimum maintenance payments will be based on the Social Welfare formula for dependent children.  12. ABORTION. A FREE VOTE IN PARLIAMENT. Since abortion is inextricably intertwined with the twin questions of fundamental human rights and life itself, the question of its general legalisation, beyond the reasons and conditions already provided for in law, must never become a matter of party politics cutting across the individual principles and convictions of Members of Parliament. Social Credit believes the matter to be one of individual candidates in the first instance, and subsequently by a free vote in Parliament.  13. HOMOSEXUAL LAW REFORM. The existing law relating to homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private will be repealed. The laws providing penalties for the sexual corruption of minors will be retained.  LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Social Credit believes in the decentralization of control, and to this end a Social Credit Government will allow local bodies greater scope in which to operate, with resulting benefits to the people they serve.  We recognize the duty of the central government to establish a climate in which local bodies may be free and able to develop their communities.  1. ADMINISTRATION.  (a) To eliminate existing anomalies, consolidation and revision of the statutes governing counties and municipalities will be undertaken in consultation with the New Zealand Counties and Municipal Associations.  (b) In rural areas particularly, the incorporation of ad hoc authorities with the major local body, for administrative purposes only, would be encouraged where economy and efficiency could be improved.  (c) City Councillors, Borough and County Councillors will declare their financial interests to a committee appointed by the judiciary, on being elected to their offices.  2. FINANCE. Subject to approval by the Local Authorities' Loans Board loans for development will be made available free of interest but with an administrative charge only. In certain circumstances, free grants will be provided to make possible the establishment of basic community amenities such as water supply and drainage and sewage systems. Such assistance will speed development and relieve communities of heavy demands for debt servicing which will in turn halt the continual rise in rates.  3. RATING (See Appendix). The present outdated, inequitable, and costly system of assessing local body rates will be phased out and replaced by a system based on land classification in the case of rural land, and, in the case of urban property, zoning in accordance with the approved town plan. Local bodies will have the option of rating on a zonal and or riding basis. The benefits expected to result from the adoption of these proposals can be summarised as follows:  1. A considerable saving in the cost of administration, resulting from the non-recurring cost of valuation. The "rateable value" will only vary as the district scheme is varied or as the extent of services increases.  2. The emphasis will be placed on the equitable payment to the local body for services rendered - e.g. two dwellings alongside each other should pay the same relative rate for the same services used by the same number of people, regardless of the cost of the dwelling.  3. Local bodies will be given statutory power to vary the rate from riding to riding.  4. With the increasing use of rural land for developing the tourist industry, the farming community in many instances is at present being penalised for the higher cost of land transactions, which has no bearing on the farming industry.  5. The community will appreciate the ability to buy and sell land for what it is truly worth to them, on the basis that they pay an equitable rate to that of their neighbour. Farm land and urban dwellings will soon find their real worth.  6. The valuation profession will establish its true place in the community.  4. TOWN PLANNING.  (a) Town planning legislation will be rewritten to provide for public participation before plans are prepared, and provide a fully-unified approach to the urban community environment e.g. to encourage multi-use buildings.  (b) The Town Planning profession will be encouraged to broaden its professional expertise by including studies in social and community living.  5. BOUNDARY CHANGES. In all cases where boundary changes are proposed, a poll of the ratepayers concerned will be taken and a majority decision will be required before any change is made.  6. WARD REPRESENTATION. A ward system of representation on local bodies may be decided at a poll on the petition of 5 per cent of ratepayers in the area.  7. LOCAL BODY HOUSING. Pensioner housing schemes will receive greater  encouragement and liberalization of the Rural Housing Act 1939 will be considered.  8. CIVIL DEFENCE. We shall continue to have local civil defence organizations administered by local bodies and we shall reimburse them their administrative costs which are at present an added burden to their already-strained finances.  9. NOXIOUS WEEDS. Greater amounts of finance will be provided to enable all noxious weeds to be controlled.  10. URBAN RENEWAL. A Social Credit Government will recognize the urgency of dealing with the problems of urban renewal and will take early steps to establish positive programmes in co-operation with local authorities.  11. MUNICIPAL COMPOSTING. Local authorities wishing to establish plants will be assisted financially to encourage the composting of sewage wastes. The inter-departmental committee for refuse disposal of organic wastes will be re-constituted to actively promote such schemes and to co-ordinate them with pollution control under the Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967.  12. CREMATORIA. Local bodies in our larger centres will be encouraged to provide crematoria, and financial assistance will be given towards this end.  13. REFERENDA. Where a local body has held a referendum on any issue, the result will be binding until varied by a further referendum.  14. THE OMBUDSMAN. The jurisdiction of the Ombudsman will be extended to cover all local bodies.  15. TRUST TAVERNS. Social Credit will ensure the establishment of Trust Taverns where public support shows a demand for same. (This authority is already in the licensing Trust Act 1949 for the Minister of Finance to administer Loan Money for Trust Taverns).  16. FINANCIAL YEAR. To bring our National Accounting system into accord with New Zealand's trading pattern, the financial year will end on June 30.  MINING, FUEL AND POWER. Of all New Zealand's non-renewable resources, coal, of which there are known to be vast reserves, must be regarded as one of the most valuable because of the wealth of mineral by-products which will be increasingly required for the development of our secondary industries so necessary for a balanced economy. The use of coal, therefore, for anything other than industrial purposes will not be regarded favourably. It will be the duty of the Minister of Natural Resources to ensure that the development of electric power from hydro resources will in no way diminish or eliminate the valuable contribution that the continuing sustained yield from the land will provide to the national economy for the years ahead. Although small local hydro plants appear to be not as economic as the major schemes, they could be developed to good advantage for the overall security of New Zealand. In times of national disaster it is very evident that smaller regional schemes prove invaluable in ensuring that essential services are maintained. It is basic Social Credit philosophy that every New Zealander should benefit to an equal extent from our national resources, regardless of their situation, As electric power is universally used by everyone, it will be the ultimate aim of a Social Credit Government to have a basic flat rate for a unit of electric power throughout the country, affecting city and rural dwellers alike.  1. MINES ACT. Legislation will be introduced making the Mines Act subordinate to legislation concerning the environment.  2. MINING.  Coal. It has long been recognised that the use of coal as a premium fuel is a wasteful and uneconomic utilisation of one of our most valuable resources. Bearing in mind the requirements of existing industries, both primary and secondary, a Social Credit Government would investigate the establishment of coal utilisation plants with the following products in mind:  (a) Nitrogenous manures for our primary industries.  (b) Chemical dyes for our woollen mills.  (c) Light and heavy oils, and petroleum.  (d) Metallurgical coke.  (e) Any other by-product essential to industry.  Specialised coal deposits will be conserved for the purposes to which they are most essential.  Other Minerals. (See also policy on Natural Resources and Land Administration). It will be the immediate policy of a Social Credit Government to ensure that only those minerals being utilised for local industry continue to be mined, and that royalties paid will be relative to the contribution to the national economy.  Oil. We will ensure that New Zealanders will receive the benefit from any positive results from the exploration for oil at present being carried out.  Sub-strata Removal. Where natural gas and or petroleum are removed from sub-strata they must be replaced with suitable materials e.g. water.  3. ELECTRIC POWER. Forward planning of future electric power requirements, including the provision of geothermal stations, is at an advanced stage. However, in regard to nuclear power, Social Credit will set up a full public inquiry, with rights of cross-examination before any decision in principle is reached. In deciding the merits and demerits of the various, projects, a Social Credit Government would favour the long-term benefit in relation to the short-term economy.  (a) LOCAL SCHEMES. Power supply authorities will be encouraged to develop their own power resources where it can be shown that it is economically sound and in the public interest.  (b) ELECTRICITY CORPORATION. A Social Credit Government would convert the Electricity Department into a public corporation.  (c) POWER DISTRIBUTION AUTHORITIES (See Section 4(c).  (d) BROADLANDS GEOTHERMAL FIELD. The proposal to divert the Broadlands Geothermal Field to the production of heavy water by overseas interests will be prevented and this energy source will be conserved for the benefit of New Zealanders.  (e) PEAK-LOAD POWER. Research into all possible avenues of reducing peak-load power requirements will be Intensified by the New Zealand Electricity Department, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Ministry of Works and the Labour Department; e.g. staggered working hours, thermal insulation, etc.  (f) CLUTHA VALLEY. Unless subject to full and favourable cost-benefit analysis to favourable environmental impact reports, and to the provisions of the Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967, all further development of the Clutha Valley for hydro-electric purposes will be dispensed with.  SOLAR HEATING. Social Credit will encourage greater research by both Government and independent bodies into alternative methods of energy utilisation, e.g. solar heating, harnessing the tides, etc. Social Credit will encourage the installation of solar heating units both privately and in industry.  4. ENERGY RESOURCES.  (a) COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS. Any proposed development and use of natural resources will be subject to a full cost-benefit analysis, including social costs.  (b) ENERGY CONSERVATION. There will be strong positive policies for energy conservation by education; imaginative campaigns aimed at making the whole community aware of the facts regarding the use and conservation of energy; inclusion of energy conservation and utilization will be part of every educational curriculum.  (c) POWER DISTRIBUTION AUTHORITIES. There will be redefinition of power distribution authorities' role so that they become power conservation and distribution authorities, charged to ensure equitable distribution of energy supplies. The present power pricing structure will be overhauled to provide for reasonable amounts at low rates and increasing rates for excess usage.  (d) RESEARCH. There will be substantial grants for research into the utilization of renewable resources such as cellulose (from wood) to provide raw materials for a chemical industry and the use of coal as a chemical feedstock. Research into tidal and solar energy utilization and the use of waste for energy production, i.e. siting thermal power stations adjacent to sewage secondary treatment plants so that waste heat can be used to produce fuel for the plant.  (e) GEOTHERMAL ENERGY. A Social Credit Government will guarantee that New Zealand geothermal energy resources will not be owned or controlled by overseas business or entrepreneurs. Every effort will be made for the full use of our geothermal energy.  (f) METALLURGICAL COKING COAL. There will be severe limitation on the export of metallurgical coking coal. It will be needed urgently for use in New Zealand steel-making, and its availability could finally decide the viability of an expanded steel industry in New Zealand. This severe limitation would apply explicitly but not exclusively to Mt Davey coal.  (g) NATURAL GAS. Notwithstanding any previous Government agreement, we will use Maui gas as a premium fuel and reduce its use for electricity generation. The conversion losses of around 70 per cent make such use uneconomic. There will be an extension of the projected life of the Maui gas field. At present the intent of the consortium is to have it consumed at the maximum rate regardless of wastage in order to recoup expenditure and make profit. With wise usage and restructuring of the financial base it can last well into the 21st century, thus helping bridge .the gap until safe alternative forms of energy are available.  (h) EXPLOITATION RIGHTS ON MINERAL RESERVES. There will be restriction on allocation of exploitation rights on mineral reserves, so that they are there when we need them. At that time we will be able to pay for their development for the use of New Zealanders.  (i) ALUMINIUM SMELTING. Social Credit will vigorously press for clear Government statements that the Aramoana Aluminium smelter project will not proceed unless the company supplies its own energy and additionally provides proof to the public that there will be clear economic and social advantages to New Zealand. A Social Credit Government will investigate the price for Comalco aluminium compared to price from overseas. NOTE: Comalco now purchases energy for the smelter at Tiwai Point for about one eighth of replacement cost in New Zealand or elsewhere. Since energy input represents a large portion of the production cost of aluminium, it follows that aluminium produced with bargain rate energy should sell at a lower price than aluminium from elsewhere. Paradoxically Comalco have been seeking a protective tariff on imports.  (j) HIGH ENERGY INPUT RECYCLING. Social Credit will implement the recycling of waste from any product with a high energy input at the manufacturing state.  (k) DISTRICT HEATING SCHEME. A Social Credit Government will research into district heating schemes using modern developments in thermal insulation to minimize transmission losses and reduce wastage of energy.  OVERSEAS TRADE. The present protectionist approach by individual countries, whether by means of economic sanctions or the quota system, engenders friction and jealousy between nations which often ends in open conflict. These policies are largely the result of inadequate internal monetary systems. As a means of establishing secure markets over the widest possible area, and to show by example a method of dealing with the problems of world trade, a Social Credit Government will implement the following policy.  1. RECIPROCAL AND BILATERAL TRADE. An application will be immediately lodged with G.A.T.T. for a waiver of the Agreement, to permit reciprocal and bilateral trading with countries other than our traditional markets, and reduce tariffs gradually, thus reducing internal costs, making all exports more competitive on overseas markets.  2. EXPORT CREDITS. An export Credit Account will be established at the N.Z.C.A. for the those countries willing to reciprocate, so that trading may proceed unhampered by balance of payments problems. Such credits will be at a nominal rate only, and where justified (such as in the case of underdeveloped countries), will be interest-free. This latter aspect would ensure that trade policies based on the principle of economic justice rather than charitable aid are pursued.  3. BOARD OF TRADE. A Board of Trade will be set up, with the responsibility of carrying out a long-term policy of import allocation related to export earnings. The quantum of imports must be kept in annual balance with our export earnings, after providing for our external debt servicing. Exceptions may be necessary from time to time to ensure that essential capital equipment and raw materials are imported for the development and benefit of the country as a whole. (See also policy on Secondary Industries). Sufficient exchange will be reserved for this purpose.  4. TRADE COMMISSIONERS. The time is overdue for the appointment of well qualified Trade Commissioners to ensure adequate overseas promotion of New Zealand's industry, both primary and secondary. Towards this end a Social Credit Government will establish consular offices and trading posts wherever practicable with the object of further reciprocal and bilateral trade. To ensure that trade promotion is prosecuted with the utmost vigour, Trade Commissioners will be appointed from the commercial field for contractual periods on terms attractive to well-qualified men. Such appointments will be outside the jurisdiction of the State Service Commission.  5. EXPORT DEVELOPMENT. There is no doubt that we must continue to diversify our products, in both primary and secondary industries, and see that our skills and resources are fully utilized. All that is basically necessary to ensure that our exporting industries make unimpeded progress is to provide sufficient incentive by way of taxation relief. This can best be achieved by increased taxation exemptions for travelling and advertising. Financial assistance will be given to those industries developing new products and to new industries considered worthy of promotion by the Trade Commissioners for particular markets. (See also proposals for a National Investment Corporation under policy on Finance).  6. FOREIGN INVESTMENT. A Social Credit Government will introduce adequate measures to prevent foreign investors from obtaining a dominant interests in New Zealand property and industry. (See Overseas Ownership of Land in Environment policy).  7. SALES PROMOTION. A Social Credit Government will use all possible means to promote sales of New Zealand products to potential markets and employ qualified market research personnel from private enterprise.  PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM REFORM. Social Credit chose its title as a Political League very carefully for we are determined to get away from the faults and weaknesses of the Party System. Social Credit members will be united in our Financial Policy to reform the faulty economy but on matters of conscience our philosophy demands that they have a free vote in parliament to exercise the wishes of their constituents. These matters would include decisions relating to abortion, morals, the commitment of combat troops overseas, etc. Social Credit abhors the increasing gap between true democracy and the present parliamentary system and believe the following steps will overcome anomalies in the present democratic structure.  1. ELECTORAL REFORM. Under a Social Credit Government parliamentary elections will be conducted under the proportional representation system incorporating the single transferable vote in multi-candidate constituencies. This is known as PR-STV.  2. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC INTERESTS. All Members of Parliament will be required to make a complete disclosure of their financial affairs to the Auditor General who will report thereon as he thinks necessary to a Select Committee of the House. Ministers will not be permitted to deal in land or engage in financial or business activities likely to lead to a conflict betwebn their private affairs and the public interest and may be required to convert certain of their assets into blind trusts where only the trustees know the nature of the trust investments.  3. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. A member of the High Judiciary will be chosen by and seconded to Parliament to assume the duties of Speaker of the House of Representatives.  4. PARLIAMENTARY TERM. Social Credit will maintain the three year life of Parliament.  5. ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION. All legislative acts will be subject to environment legislation where applicable.  6. NEW ZEALAND ANTHEM. The New Zealand Anthem, God Defend New Zealand, will take precedence at all official government functions.  7. NATIONAL ANTHEM AND NEW ZEALAND FLAG. The League will only support a change of National Anthem and New Zealand flag provided the principle of change is endorsed by the majority in a nationwide referendum.  8. VOTING AGE. The voting age will be maintained at eighteen years.  9. ORGANIZATIONS OF ELECTORS. All Members of Parliament will be encourage to foster the formation of non-party organizations of electors to act as liaison committees, and to consult with them in matters concerning their respective electorates. Members will be required to report to their electorates after each session of Parliament.  10. SECRETARIAL AID. Each member of Parliament will be provided with an aid for secretarial duties.  11. SELECT COMMITTEES. A greater emphasis will be placed on public hearings of Parliamentary Select Committees.  12. REFERENDA.  (a) MAORI SEATS. A poll will be held amongst the Maori electors every three years, in conjunction with the general election to vote on the continuation or abolition of the Maori parliamentary seats.  (b) LOCAL BODIES. Where a local body has held a referendum on any issue, the result will be binding until varied by a further referendum. Legislation will be passed to compel local authorities to abide by the results of referenda.  13. BALLOT PAPERS. Standardized ballot papers will be introduced to cover both Parliamentary and Local Body Elections.  14. PARLIAMENTARY SUPERVISION OF DELEGATED LEGISLATION:  (a) We shall introduce a provision whereby all statutory instruments must be laid before Parliament and will be subject to a resolution affirming the instrument.  (b) A Select Committee of the House will be set up to scruntinze and report on statutory instruments laid before Parliament.  (c) We shall amend the Regulations Act 1936 to ensure that all delegated and sub-delegated legislation is published before it comes into effect. Non-publication at the time of an alleged offence will be a complete defence to any charge involving breach of a regulation.  POPULATION IMMIGRATION. Social Credit recognizes it is not the role of government to arbitrarily stabilize the population growth rate, but to create the economic and social opportunities and incentives, through which people are attracted voluntarily towards more evenly distributed population patterns, resulting in viable self-fulfilment and a satisfying standard of living. We believe in (i) the need to preserve individual choice and the maturity of people to themselves control the population (ii) educating for increased public awareness and responsibility (iii) a viable decentralization policy (iv) a vital agricultural policy to stop urban drift, and (v) a humanitarian trade and aid policy to help underdeveloped nations.  1. COUNSELLING. Social Credit will foster organizations which provide counselling and guidance in family planning.  2. EDUCATION. The opportunity will be given for education in all inter-personal relationships, social values, family planning and sex education in schools, by suitably qualified counsellors in close liaison with parents.  3. ABORTION See Law Reform.  4. SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH CENTRES: Social Credit will establish sociological research centres based on the universities and collaborating with Medical Schools, Public Hospitals and Family Planning Clinics. They will be appropriately staffed by psychologists, sociologists, and medical specialists, on both a permanent and consultative basis. These centres will research matters such as population, contraception and abortion.  5. IMMIGRATION. New Zealand's greatest need is to retain the services of its own citizens. The net loss of population, particularly of those with academic and business acumen, through better overseas prospects can only be countered by offering such people equal or better prospects to stay or return. This can be achieved by stabilizing our cost of living decreasing our present disincentive taxation level, and regaining the confidence of our people by providing administration that will satisfy these points.  (a) Government-assisted passages for migrants will be regulated more stringently according to Government overall policies.  (b) We will substantially reduce immigration until housing, other services and social amenities are adequate for our population needs.  6. DECENTRALIZATION: See Regional Development  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. New Zealand has been, and is still being, served by a loyal, competent and efficient staff of public servants. The goodwill, however, so necessary between employer and employee is fast vanishing It will be the first duty of a Social Credit Government, therefore, to regain the goodwill of all public servants. The present policy of engaging overseas consultants for many of New Zealand's problems is in many cases unnecessary, and reflects on the capabilities of our top professional and technical staff. This practice is creating an unnecessary drain on New Zealand's hard-earned overseas funds, and will therefore be discontinued. Should it be necessary to obtain the benefit of overseas experience it would be preferable to send our own personnel overseas for the purpose. It has been openly stated that some senior public servants are bureaucrats. This, in our opinion, is the direct result of weak Government, and does not reflect upon the individuals concerned who have no doubt acted always with the best of intentions. It is the duty of the elected Government to ensure that policy is correctly formed and carried out.  1. STATE SERVICES ACT 1962. This Act will be amended if necessary, to ensure that there is more flexibility of promotion without the incessant, costly, and sometimes unnecessary transfer of staff. This can be achieved by the use of personal grading, or merit promotion. The present inflexibility is costing the country untold amounts in staff movement and staff goodwill.  2. STATE SERVICES COMMISSIONERS. We believe that the State Service Commissioners should be selected from outside the Service. This would ensure a less biased approach to appointments. We believe that the three State Service Commissioners should in every way be free of political control, and in effect have the freedom of the judiciary. Their position should not enable them to become Permanent Departmental Heads.  3. PERMANENT HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS. Permanent Heads will continue to be appointed by the State Service Commission. Their position will also hold the open right of appeal.  4. REPRESENTATION ON PRODUCER BOARDS. The practice of appointing retired public servants to Producer Boards will be investigated. Their technical ability can be invaluable but their knowledge of Departmental personnel could be embarrassing to Permanent Heads.  5. DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATION. In order to improve the approach of public administration, we believe all Departments should have a top executive committee, comprising not less than six and not more than twelve members, according to the size of the Department, constituted both to advise on and carry out Government policy. Where appropriate, representatives from closely allied interests will be included in the executive committee. The Minister will be chairman and will hold regular meetings throughout the year.  6. PROMOTION. There appears to be an increasing emphasis on professional qualifications rather than personal administrative ability. This should not be the case. There must always be a balance maintained between the professional man and the competent proven administrator.  7. RIGHT OF APPEAL. Appeal Board personnel should be appointed from outside the State Service. In any case where an employee is not carrying out the policy of the Government, then the Minister should always retain the right to prematurely retire the individual in question.  8. SALARY SCALES. Public servants in common with all other employees are entitled to the immediate percentage increase in salary as determined in a general wage order.  9. HOUSING. Where housing is provided for public servants in particular positions, the rentals charged should be regarded as part of the cost structure of the particular Department. Any concession that may be apparent in these rentals should be regarded purely as a concession for that particular position.  10. TRANSPORT. Where public servants have to use a car for their particular position in a Department, then financial assistance will be given to such individuals to purchase a car at no more than three per cent. This will avoid undue pressure for Department vehicles, encourage private ownership and lessen the overhead costs of Departments.  11. SUPERANNUATION. The present percentage basis for public servants for joining the Government Superannuation Scheme of 6 per cent up to the age of 30 years with increasing percentages over this age is based on the insurance risk approach, and tends to discourage those joining the Service later in life from participating on an equal basis. We consider a universal 6 per cent deduction for superannuation from all public servants to be fair and reasonable.  12. SUPERANNUITANTS. Upon assuming office a Social Credit Government will immediately institute a review of all Superannuitants, with a view to placing them in the position in which they would have been had they been retiring at the time of the review.  RACE RELATIONS AND MAORI AND ISLAND AFFAIRS. Our immediate policy will be to meet the needs of Polynesians resulting largely through urbanisation.  1. RACE RELATIONS RESEARCH. Social Credit recognizes the need for extensive research into race relations and the whole area of cultural adjustment as the necessary basis for the pursuance of enlightened policies in this area by appropriate government departments. A Social Credit Government would support the immediate establishment of a fully-equipped, and adequately-staffed university-based race relations research and study centre.  2. PARLIAMENT. A poll will be held amongst Maori electors every three years, In conjunction with the general election, to vote on the continuation or abolition of the Maori parliamentary seats. If continuation is desired then the number of Maori seats in parliament will be increased from four to seven.  3. TREATY OF WAITANGI. A Social Credit Government will pass legislation to enact the non retrospective ratification of the land and citizenship provisions of the Treaty of Waitangi with the exception of the crown pre-emption clause.  4. GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS. The following will be phased out as soon as they become redundant:  (a) The post of Minister of Maori and Island Affairs.  (b) The Department of Maori and Island Affairs.  (c) The Maori Social and Economic Act 1945 and the organizations created by this Act.  (d) The staff and duties of the Department will be relocated and incorporated into the appropriate Government Departments.  5. MAORI LAND COURTS. The Maori Land Court will be retained as a separate body.  6. LAND. Land utilization committees comprising Maori owners and representatives of associated Government departments will be established to deal with the immediate problem of correct land use, and will be ultimately dispensed with when they have served their purpose.  7. CULTURE. Social Credit will set up a committee consisting of Maori elders and learned fellow New Zealanders to preserve and promote Maori culture, so that all New Zealanders will become more conscious of their Polynesian heritage. To this end:  (a) Every effort will be made to provide courses, urgently, for those willing to teach Maori language and culture in schools.  (b) A basic course in Polynesian Studies will be provided for all teachers in training.  (c) The Maori Arts Centre at Rotorua will be expanded with a view to training more craftsmen, providing information on Maori arts, and selling products in New Zealand and overseas.  (d) The use of Maori motifs (rafter patterns, etc.) will be encouraged in the manufacture of appropriated goods e.g. textiles, and also on wrappings and trademarks.  (e) Because old Maori artifacts are scarce and invaluable, they will not be allowed out of New Zealand unless they are on loan to museums or for exhibitions.  8. EDUCATION.  (a) MAORI EDUCATION FOUNDATION. We will provide generous financial assistance to the Maori Education Foundation. The League appreciates that the Foundation arose through a realization by the Maoris of the importance of promoting education, and that it is an example of self-help.  (b) EDUCATION GRANTS. Specific additional grants will be made for the education of pupils from depressed urban environments.  (c) LEARNING MAORI. Every New Zealand schoolchild will be given the opportunity of learning both Maori and English.  (d) SCHOLARSHIPS. Social Credit will provide additional scholarships to independent Maori schools. (See Education, Section 8 (Polynesian Education)  9. VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE. Special vocational guidance officers will be appointed. By liaison with schools and parents they will advise all Maori school leavers and where possible direct them into skilled occupations requiring further training. (Note: at present 80% of Maoris are in occupations classed as unskilled. There is an urgent need for a higher ratio of Maoris in other occupational levels).  10. PRE-VOCATIONAL COURSES. Orientation courses for Maori youths moving to the cities will be extended. Pre-vocational courses at technical institutes will be available for all Maori youths who could benefit.  11. COMMUNITY CENTRES. Social Credit will establish in cities with a significant multicultural population, cross-cultural urban community centres, multi-culturally staffed and with the main objective of allowing people of any culture to meet on absolutely equal terms for the purpose of mutual cultural enrichment.  12. URBAN MARAES. Social Credit will establish urban maraes in all cities with a significant Maori population, in full consultation with the Maori people.  13. TRIBAL TRUST BOARDS. The League will restore the purchasing power of Tribal Trust Board incomes to their original level, by subsidy or by a re-assessment of original grants. (Note: because of the depreciation in the value of money, Tribal Trust Board incomes have been eroded, and some Boards have been forced to curtail benefits at a time when a rapidly expanding youthful population needs every assistance):  14. HOUSING. Special local body regulations will be formulated to enable the Department of Maori and Island Affairs to experiment with new architectural housing and settlement designs more in tune with traditional Maori and Polynesian kinship and cultural patterns.  15. FOREST STANDS. Funds will be made available for establishing forest stands on Maori land, in similar fashion to the present farm forestry loans scheme.  REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT  1. DECENTRALIZATION.  (a) Companies will be encouraged and assisted to establish industry in the smaller centres with the maximum possible number of local investing shareholders.  (b) Decentralized factories will be autonomous where possible.  (c) Companies will have access to low-cost social capital to invest in those amenities, which the local people believe will provide an optimum social and physical environment at work and in the enjoyment of leisure time.  (d) Companies will be encouraged to co-operate with their local body in the building of integrated, self-contained communities which will provide adequate social, cultural, educational and recreational facilities to be shared and enjoyed by all of the people within the community.  2. TRANSPORT  (a) Adequate transportation systems will be provided to service decentralized industry.  (b) The transportation costs of all decentralized companies within regions will be automatically subsidized to the extent that the price of products marketed is competitive with industry in close proximity to large markets.  3. INDUSTRY CLOSING DOWN. When a skilled industry becomes redundant in an area (e.g. coal mine), Social Credit believes that society should pay the social cost of reestablishing the people concerned in another area so that their skills are not wasted.  4. HOUSES & AMENITIES IN SMALLER TOWNS. Social Credit believes in fully utilizing existing houses and civic amenities in the smaller towns. To encourage this we will see that adequate passenger transport is available to nearby larger towns or using them to house farm workers and their families.  5. CULTURAL ACTIVITIES. To satisfy the cultural hunger that causes many people to leave smaller areas, we will make funds available so that groups such as singers, musicians, theatre, can visit these areas.  6. EDUCATION. We will ensure that the education facilities in smaller areas are of the highest standard and comparable with those in larger centres.  ROAD SAFETY  1. FINANCE  (a) Finance which will give access to the resources allocated to improve the safety on highways, roads and streets, will be provided by a combination of interest-free loans and a re-allocation of existing taxation.  (b) All forms of petrol tax and motor registration fees will be transferred from the consolidated fund for use by the National Roads Board, local authorities and Road Safety Councils.  2. VEHICLE MAINTENANCE STANDARDS  (a) MOTOR TRADE ASSOCIATION. The motor trade association will be further involved in establishing vehicle maintenance standards and be encouraged to upgrade the standard of work of its members particularly in regard to those mechanical features relevant to road safety.  (b) ACCIDENT-PRONE FEATURES. Standards enforced will be related particularly to the importance of mechanical features and items of equipment which statistics prove contribute most to accident rate when not adequately maintained or utilized.  (c) DESIGN. Improvements in the design and construction of new vehicles which are known to reduce the incidence and severity of accidents will be progressively applied in New Zealand.  (d) REDUCED USE. There will be a reduction in the use of the internal combustion engine in the high-traffic-density areas of our larger cities.  (e) OTHER VEHICLES. Greater use will be made of electrically-powered vehicles together with the development of rapid-transit public transportation systems in order to alleviate the accident hazard and to reduce the problems of pollution.  3. PUBLIC TRANSPORT.  (a) Local authorities will be requested to accept the responsibility of implementing and encouraging the use of transport alternative to the private motor car, with the purpose of reducing accidents within their area of jurisdiction.  (b) Local authorities will receive finance to implement these recommendations from interest-free loans, the only restricting factor being the availability of manpower and resources.  4. IMPROVING DRIVING ABILITY.  (a) Social pressure, individual status and individual responsibility will be used as the method of improving behaviour on our roads in preference to law enforcement.  (b) Drivers will be encouraged to continually Improve their skill and competence, and that those who do so be suitably rewarded by an enhanced driving status.  5. GRADED LICENCES. A system of graded licences will be introduced.  6. ROAD SAFETY COUNCILS. There will be established Regional Road Safety Councils which will replace the present Road Safety Committees and the existing Road Safety Council which will be disbanded.  (a) Local Body Responsibility. It will be the responsibility of the local bodies of a region to convene an autonomous Road Safety Council to serve and represent the area within the region concerned.  (b) Representative. Each Road Safety Council will be truly representative of all parties within the region who are interested in road safety.  (c) Functions. The functions of the Road Safety Councils will be:  - To involve the community in the promotion and maintenance of Road Safety.  - To accept subsidies and grants from both Government and local bodies.  - To administer the driving training-grounds set up by the local bodies of their Region.  - To appoint traffic wardens at least one of whom shall be the executive officer of the Road Safety Council.  - To keep a record of complaints sent to the Road Safety Council by private citizens who have noticed behaviour on the roads which is detrimental to road safety.  - Each Road Safety Council will forward to the appropriate Regional Road Safety Council complaints against users of vehicles registered in other centres.  - To upgrade licences.  - To downgrade licences of licence holders against whom a significant dossier of complaints has been built up.  - To endeavour, through its Executive Officer, to make those against whom complaints have been made, aware of their transgressions and of the penalties in grading which such acts could entail.  7. LOCAL BODIES' INVOLVEMENT IN ROAD SAFETY.  (a) Local bodies will convene autonomous Road Safety Councils and subsidize the administration of them.  (b) Local bodies will be required to provide driving training grounds in appropriate locations with facilities to train and test drivers.  (c) Local bodies will subsidize the corps of Traffic Wardens appointed by the Road Safety Council of their area. These Traffic Wardens will be complementary to the transport Department Officer in the area.  ACCIDENT STATISTICS. The publication of accident statistics will be made on an area basis as well as on a national the matter of road safety. This will stimulate local pride and involvement in basis, the areas being Road Safety Council areas.  SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. There is a pressing need in New Zealand for a far wider and all-embracing approach to all aspects of research which should be divorced from any political influence. The heavy loss of research personnel is not altogether due to the salary scales, but to a certain extent is caused by frustration in their work, due to restrictive administrative procedures and lack of adequate research finance.  1. SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH CORPORATION. The D.S.I.R. will be reconstituted as a Scientific and Industrial Research Corporation which will be charged with the following responsibilities:  (a) Co-ordinating and pursuing research into such matters as agriculture, forestry, transport, building, fuel, electric power and sea fishing.  (b) Ensuring that the remuneration of all personnel employed compares favourably with overseas conditions.  (c) Ensuring that modern and up-to-date equipment is available at all times.  (d) Ensuring that the health of man is maintained at all times, in relationship to that of animals and the soil.  (e) Ensuring that diagnostic stations are maintained in suitable districts.  In a world of technology, increased research is vital to the country's future and standard of living, and in consequence the necessary financial grants would be provided. Note 1. In its 1965 Report to Parliament, the National Research Advisory Council stressed that the most desirable methods of electric power development demanded an increasingly detailed knowledge of water, coal, gas, geothermal stream, and uranium resources. Note 2. In its Annual Report for the year ended 31st March 1965 the Council said, in connection with poisons in agriculture: "This Council is convinced that a research unit is necessary to watch and assess the build-up of effects on animal populations,' insect life, and ultimately life in the waters. Consideration of this and other conservation problems has confirmed the Council's belief that the basic research can be carried out more successfully by an independent agency.  2. APPLIED RESEARCH See Education Policy Section 11.  SECONDARY INDUSTRY. The maintenance and expansion of existing industries and the setting up of new industries will receive encouragement and co-operation. The interests of the New Zealand people will always be paramount where foreign participation through overseas investment is sought, and the growing trend towards overseas control will be halted. Outgoings of New Zealand exchange as earnings by overseas investors will not exceed the savings and/or earnings of exchange effected by the operations of any industry. The establishment of new industries based on the use of our own raw materials, processing and packaging of primary products, and production of goods for export and home consumption will be actively assisted by the following means:  1. Expansion of industrial research.  2. Provision of development finance under reasonable terms.  3. Taxation incentives and realistic depreciation allowances on plant and equipment.  4. Board of Trade control of import licence allocations, free from Government interference, to ensure an adequate flow of imports of necessary raw materials, and to afford protection where required for all sections of industry.  5. Liberalising of transport regulations to promote greater economy and efficiency.  6. An enlightened labour and employment policy which will bring about greater co-operation between wage earners and management in developing our industries to mutual and general advantage.  7. Establishing assured markets for export production by measures set out in the policy section on Overseas Trade.  SOCIAL WELFARE. BASIC PURPOSE. Social Credit believes that the basic purpose of a social welfare programme should be to (i) preserve life and promote health so that each person is as physically healthy and fit and emotionally healthy and stable as their potential allows (ii) enhance the dignity, freedom and independence of the individual person so he can walk tall with respect, and (iii) guarantee, as a fundamental right, that every New Zealander has a basic standard of living below which no citizen will fall for reasons beyond his or her control.  PRINCIPLES. Social Credit's policies are designed to ensure that each person has equality of opportunity to reach his/her maximum potential. To this end we will:  - STRENGTHEN family life and promote balanced communities.  - ASSIST the handicapped and disabled to attain a maximum degree of independence.  - OFFER meaningful opportunities to the displaced in order that they can once again make a worthwhile contribution to the nation's progress.  - GUIDE the weak and assist them to accept their responsibilities as citizens.  - PROTECT the frail and ensure that they are not exploited by an unscrupulous few.  - GIVE a just and living wage to our senior citizens who have contributed so much to the nation's heritage in their earlier years.  - ENCOURAGE community involvement in social welfare organizations on a voluntary basis.  - LIAISE with community welfare groups and organizations and ensure that there is a two-way dialogue between these groups and Government.  1. SOCIAL CHANGE. Democratic government should be concerned with bringing about the optimum conditions for human development - a life for us all that has qualities and lifevalues that enrich humanity. To know where we are, and to promote these lifevalues, we need systems for measuring social performance, that is, social indicators (comparable to economic indicators) to inform us whether society, as distinct from the economy, is healthy. We also need a measure (index) of the rates at which we make and break relationships with significant things, places, people, organizations and information sources that make up our human environment. How much newness can we cope with as individuals, communities or organizations, because the ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment is essential to personal and community health. The promotion of social health in New Zealand can best be served by programmes and facilities anticipating change and the prevention of social problems, and, as far as possible, the hazards of injury, accident and crime. It's time we analyzed present social trends, considered their consequences and planned to terminate them, if undesirable, and replace them or foster them if desirable. At all times, however, it is considered better to encourage individuals and communities to set their own goals and achieve them rather than have government do this for them. Social Credit would build in incentives at all levels of social development and welfare and work solidly on the principle of localized democracy.  (a) SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. A Social Development section will be set up as part of the Social Welfare Department, to anticipate and prepare for new social patterns and frameworks.  (b) SOCIAL OBJECTIVES. A Social Credit Government will invite peo  ple and organizations to submit suggestions for priorities in social objectives for one year, five years and ten years for their communities.  (a) SOCIAL INDICATORS. We will use social indicators to measure the results of social policy and the effects of economic programmes. We will also use other means (indices) necessary to analyze and anticipate the effects of policies and future social changes.  (b) APPLIED RESEARCH. A Social Credit Government will initiate applied research by local authorities, government departments, technical institutes, universities, colleges and schools, voluntary agencies and others into social and recreational programmes, social development plans for new housing areas, city centre, social patterns, cultural amenities and additions to educational curricula.  2. ENVIRONMENT. An ecological balance between communities and their environment should be maintained so that their use and enjoyment of the environment does not endanger the quality of life of future generations. A healthy, stable and free society which will allow maximum individual self-expression is only possible when the ownership of the assets of society are shared by as many individual people as possible. Human well-being and ecological salvation must take precedence over speculation and exploitation of our natural resources for profit, and over economic growth for Its own sake. The League is particularly worried by the uncontrolled growth of the big city and Its effects on the inhabitants. Researched studies have shown that increasing population density produces mental and social disorders and serious health hazards, as well as bringing industrialization with its accompanying social and environmental problems. Hence the concept of more balanced communities has been worked out in terms of Social Credit housing policy and general policies affecting the urban environment. For example, we suggest that houses be grouped around open squares instead of In streets and we advocate traffic by-passes on sunken highways, smokeless zones, `green hearts' within residential areas, and a more Integral relationship between surrounding agricultural land and the urban area. We would like to see a thorough reappraisal of the whole concept of subdivision and the tendency to build too many houses on a minimal area or on valuable farmland. (See the following sections: Environment, Housing, Regional Development).  3. SOCIAL SECURITY. A Social Credit Government will recognize the fact that all citizens should benefit from the Social Security system.  (a) BENEFITS  (i) We shall Increase pensions and other benefits to ensure that the recipients are able to maintain a reasonable living standard ire comparison with other sections of the community.  (ii) We will review and revise the Social Security system and remove anomalies and restrictions which unjustly penalise applicants for benefits.  (iii) We will abolish the seven day stand down clause of the S.S. Act whereby a benefit does not begin for a period of seven days, in all cases.  (iv) We will reduce the residential qualifications for the eligibility to receive benefits to a period of 10 years.  (v) We will amend existing legislation to ensure that a married man is entitled to draw a Sick Benefit without his wife first ceasing to work.  (vi) We will ensure that a self-employed person is able to draw Sick Benefit without undergoing a means test.  (b) INCREASED ALLOWABLE INCOME. We will progressively increase the allowable income to all beneficiaries as a move towards the ultimate abolition of the means test.  (c) MORAL CHARACTER. We believe that it is not the role of Government to exercise moral judgement on the individual and will, therefore, abolish the relevant clause in the S.G. Act whereby a benefit is subject to a person's moral character.  4. SENIOR CITIZENS. A Social Credit Government will recognize the fact that senior citizens have, in their earlier years, contributed to the wealth of the nation today, and as such, are entitled to receive a benefit In later years.  (a) SUPERANNUATION. We will introduce a revised universal Superannuation Scheme incorporating the present age benefit which will be payable at the age of 60 years for men and 55 years for women.  (a) SUPERANNUATION. We will introduce a revised Universal Superannuation Scheme incorporating the present age benefit which will be payable at the age of 60 years for men and 55 years for women. Each year Universal Superannuitants will be entitled to an annual travel warrant which will be valid for a period of one month, and can be used on non-suburban road and rail services outside holiday periods. Universal Superannuitants will be exempt from paying the radio and television licence fee. Universal Superannuitants will be exempt from paying the telephone rental. Telephone and washing machines will be installed in all new blocks of pensioner flats. The income-related superannuation scheme, compulsorily imposed by Government, will be repealed.  (b) VILLAGES. As a pilot scheme, Government-sponsored villages, which will include low rental flats, and communal dining room and recreation facilities, will be constructed in the four main centres.  (a) COMMUNITY FELLOWSHIP COTTAGES. More community fellowship cottages, staffed by a family living in, will be established to house small groups of elderly citizens who can no longer cope on their own, but do not yet need full-time nursing care.  5. REHABILITATION AND ADVISORY SERVICES. A Social Credit Government will establish a Rehabilitation and Advisory Section of the Social Welfare Department. The primary object will be to assist disabled and displaced persons to rehabilitate in order that they can achieve a maximum degree of physical and financial. independence. The section will be staffed mainly with social workers who will liaise with the various welfare organizations and the Department of Labour. The role of the section will be as follows:  (a) To review all applications for a Rehabilitation Benefit.  (b) To advise and assist with job training that could lead to total or partial rehabilitation.  (c) To assist with placing in suitable and worthwhile employment the disabled or displaced persons who are capable of undertaking employment.  (d) To assist those people who have been displaced in employment because of automation, or the evolution and modernization of business and industrial techniques. Assistance will be mainly with guidance and assistance in job training and education.  (e) To assist and guide young people who come from country areas to the cities for employment.  6. SOLO PARENTS. In the case where one parent, through death or other causes is left with the responsibility of raising a family alone, the immediate concern of a Social Credit Government will be to preserve the family unit without any undue financial hardship, particularly with regard to the welfare of the children.  (a) WIDOW'S BENEFIT. We will introduce a widow's adjustment payment which will be payable on one occasion only, immediately following the death of the husband. The payment will be made to all widows with a dependent child. The amount of the payment will be increased according to the number of dependent children in the widow's care as at the date widowhood commenced. The amount of the present widow's benefit and mother's allowance will be increased substantially to ensure that a basic family living standard is maintained. The duration of marriage will not be a determining factor regarding the eligibility of a widow to receive a Widow's Benefit.  (b) HOUSEKEEPER BENEFIT. In the case of a widower or deserted husband with dependent children, we will introduce a Housekeeper Benefit which will be payable to each widower or deserted husband, providing he and his children live together as a family unit.  (c) EMERGENCY BENEFIT. In the case of a deserted wife we will introduce an Emergency Benefit and the amount and conditions of the benefit will be substantially the same as for a Widow's Benefit. The Social Security Department will be empowered to take legal action to obtain reimbursement from the husband.  (d) MAINTENANCE AWARDS. In the case of legal separation we will introduce a system whereby all maintenance awards and agreements will be registered with the Social Welfare Dept. Upon registration, the amount of the award or agreement will be paid regularly by the Dept. which will be empowered to take steps required to secure the reimbursement from the husband. Maintenance awards and agreements will be subject to an automatic increase proportionate to any wage order increase. The husband shall have the right of appeal.  (e) UNMARRIED MOTHERS. In the case of an unmarried mother who decides to keep her child it is our concern that the child should have the same opportunities in life as other children. We believe that it is not the role of Government to enter into moral judgement in such cases. In order that an unmarried mother can work and devote her income to the upbringing of the child and maintenance of a home, we will introduce a Nursery Benefit which will be payable direct to approved nurseries and day care centres. In order to protect a child from hardship, an unmarried mother may apply for an emergency benefit during times of illness.  7. HANDICAPPED PERSONS. It is the duty of Government, on behalf of the people, to ensure that the physically and intellectually handicapped are adequately provided for physically and financially, so that they may obtain the best of attention and enjoy a fair standard of living. The object of a Social Credit Government will be to assist the handicapped person to the point where the person is able to attain a maximum degree of physical and financial independence according to the degree of the disability.  (a) INVALID BENEFIT. We will abolish the present invalid benefit and expand the sickness benefit to include those beneficiaries who are at present receiving an invalid benefit.  (b) REHABILITATION BENEFIT. We will introduce a Rehabilitation Benefit which will be made payable for the use of all persons who wish and are able to partly or totally take steps to overcome their handicap. This benefit may be payable without the beneficiaries first discontinuing their receipt of the sickness benefit. The purpose of this benefit is to provide a secure financial base to those people who require assistance as they grope their way back to full or partial employment. The object of the Rehabilitation Benefit will be to cover the costs incurred in Rehabilitation; for example: The costs incurred to a person who, through disablement, finds it necessary to learn a new line of employment. The cost of special transport that is required in order that a disabled person can accept new employment. The Rehabilitation Benefit will be paid direct to the source that is providing the service that is necessary for the Rehabilitation of the individual.  8. SOCIAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS. We believe that voluntary organizations provide a valuable adjunct to the administration of Government policy as they are not bound by strict rules and regulations and can therefore show greater understanding and humanity in certain cases. These organizations will be given every encouragement in their work, and where necessary, authority to direct expenditure. A Social Credit Government in recognition of the work of voluntary groups, particularly in the field of child welfare, will encourage and assist such organizations as Birthright, Heritage, Budgeting Advisory Service, Marriage Guidance Service and Prisoners' Aid to extend still further their fields of activity. As a first step in assisting such welfare organizations we will make travel grants available to welfare organizations in certain cases, in order that they may send personnel overseas to study the latest techniques.  9. CHILD WELFARE. We believe that no child should suffer because of an imperfection of either parent, for example moral or criminal. We believe that any child afflicted with any physical or mental handicap should have the opportunity to lead as full and active a life as possible. Where suitable accommodation is not at present available, a Social Credit Government will provide buildings and vest such buildings in the name of trustees acting for the voluntary organization involved. A Social Credit Government will make the following changes in the field of Child Welfare:  (a) Provide assistance by way of an Emergency Benefit to the parents of a child who requires special care, and who are faced with financial hardship because of the child's special needs.  (b) Encourage the adoption of parentless children and meet the cost of legal fees incurred in the case of an adopted child.  10. APPEALS. A Social Credit Government will establish an Independent Appeal Board to hear appeals from persons who wish to dispute decisions made by the Social Security Commission.  11. PUBLICITY. We shall give greater publicity to the benefits and methods of assistance which are written into legislation so that all eligible persons will know the extent and details of such legislation.  12. AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENT. Percentage increases to wages as a result of General 'Wage Orders shall mean automatic percentage increases to pensions and similar benefits such as Superannuation payments.  13. RIGHTS OF PARENTS. We will hold an inquiry into the rights of parents in respect to their children.  14. STUDY AND TRAVEL BURSARIES. We will make available study and travel bursaries to recognized social workers both voluntary and full-time, for them to be better trained and equipped.  15. MAINTENANCE AND ALIMONY. The Social Welfare Department will have the sole responsibility for paying and collecting maintenance and alimony.  16. FUNERAL FACILITIES. We will encourage the establishment of non-commercial funeral facilities e.g. charitable trusts.  TOURISM (See also Fishing and Environment Policies). A Social Credit Government will ensure the preservation of the beauties and attractions with which we are endowed as a nation, which are also part of our cultural heritage. The Nature Conservation Council Act 1962 will be suitably amended to more effectively conserve our natural scenic beauty as a national asset. As an export earner, tourism has some particular attributes. It is not subject to the price fluctuations which plague agricultural exports, nor does it have to contend with highly competitive substitutes as do many primary commodities. Moreover the product being sold is never depleted, but increases with use. The New Zealand tourist industry is becoming a major contributor to a more balanced economy. Realising its full potential will require imagination and planning, and more important, encouragement to private enterprise to provide the facilities required by both local and overseas visitors. A Social Credit Government will direct its policy towards this end.  1. TOURIST AND PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT. This Department should be defined by statute as a promotional Department, and should be divorced from the business of selling travel so that it can expend its skills and energies in the promotion of New Zealand. Legislation will be passed towards this end, and adequate finance will be provided to ensure that reasonable advertising campaigns are conducted through the appropriate media overseas.  2. NEW ZEALAND TRAVEL & HOLIDAYS ASSOCIATION. We shall continue to recognise this Association as the permanent advisory body to Government, because it is so constituted that it represents the major private enterprise and organisational concerns in the tourist industry.  3. OVERSEAS LIAISON. We shall do everything possible to encourage firm liaison with Australia, Fiji and adjacent areas in the promotion of the South Pacific, in order to expand our share of the tourist travel which emanates from the jet routes of the Pacific as a whole.  4. SCENIC ATTRACTIONS. New Zealand's scenic attractions must be preserved, and where such attractions are threatened with destruction or impairment by public works or industrial enterprise, the relative value of the attraction and the enterprise must be considered. In all cases alternative sites will be thoroughly investigated and used where possible, even if this may involve some extra cost and Inconvenience. A Social Credit Government would regard it as a duty to ensure that our attractions are preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.  5. TOURIST HOTEL CORPORATION. The Tourist Hotel Corporation will continue its role of development and expansion of accommodation in new areas, where private enterprise cannot or will not operate. With increased efficiency and lower interest rates for development moneys, it -should be possible to reduce tariffs to a more competitive rate. This Corporation must never be allowed to become a monopoly subsidised by the taxpayer.  6. ACCOMMODATION. Finance will be provided for the assistance necessary to expand our tourist accommodation on a business-like basis. (See also Housing policy section 4b). In our long-term planning of the tourist industry, we are in favour of divorcing "beds from beer", so that accommodation will be considered in its own right, and the sale of liquor kept as a separate issue.  7. NATIONAL PARKS. We shall continue the development of our National Parks with a view to improving and expanding the facilities available to both overseas tourists and New Zealanders and their families. We align ourselves with all sporting organisations opposed to take-overs of our inherited sporting and recreational rights in our national parks.  TRANSPORT. The transport industry, which is one of the largest in the country, affecting as it does, every facet of the economy, deserves far more attention from Government than it has received in the past. The formation of a Ministry of Transport has been long overdue, but unfortunately, while the Government continues direct control to the railways, it does not give confidence to other sections of the industry as being the completely impartial administrative Department that it should be. Each medium of transport is superior for certain purposes, and our objective will be to offer all transport users the most efficient and economic methods of meeting their requirements. The overall policy of a Social Credit Government will be to ensure that the Ministry of Transport carries out its duties of administering the transport industry in a fair and impartial manner. Towards this end, therefore, a Social Credit Government will implement the following policy.  1. RAILWAYS. The railway system in New Zealand has been allowed to deteriorate into a state of disrepair and disrepute, largely through the lack of Government financial support to ensure the maintenance of an efficient service. Following its initial construction, which was primarily to open up the country, the railways have had to face considerable competition from various other forms of .transport, and because of its inability to modernise its equipment, it has had to have regulations applied in order to maintain its very existence. These regulations have not allowed for the true competition with other transport operators that should have been possible. This has resulted in friction, and in some cases, a complete disregard for the law.  (a) RAILWAY CORPORATION. A Social Credit Government will, therefore, at the earliest possible date, form a New Zealand Railways Corporation to take over and administer the entire railway system as held by the Government at the date a Social Credit Government assumes office.  (b) BRANCH LINES. We consider that no further curtailment of branch lines and services is justified in the intervening period.  2. ROAD TRANSPORT. It must be accepted that the road transport industry is responsible for the major portion of road and highway deterioration, which has resulted in the road transport industry bearing an ever increasing portion, by way of taxation, of the cost of road maintenance. With the increasing use of the New Zealand Credit Account at the Reserve Bank for the upgrading of the roading system generally, the taxation burden will be reduced. This will leave more money in the hands of the industry with which to maintain and replace vehicles. At the same time however, the industry will be expected to reduce, and ultimately stabilize, freight charges.  (a) LICENSING. It is recognized that some form of licence control is necessary to prevent needless waste of our resources and to reduce damage to our roads and the cost of roading. The system will, therefore, be retained.  (b) FINANCE. A Social Credit Government will ensure that all road transport operators have access to finance on an equal basis with the public corporations such as the Railways Corporation and the National Airways Corporation.  (c) COMPETITION. As this aspect is one of the fundamentals of the philosophy of Social Credit, it will be the policy of a Social Credit Government to progressively reduce the restrictive regulations coming between the various sections of the transport industry, and to ensure that ultimately New Zealand has a freely competitive and efficient transport industry, operating within guidelines which are fair and reasonable to all sections of the industry, provided that priority is given to New Zealand-owned services.  (d) N.Z. ROADS BOARD. A Social Credit Government will ensure that all revenues due to this Board are received and administered by it. The Board will take over the financing of the Auckland Harbour Bridge and Lyttelton Tunnel, and tolls will be abolished.  3. PUBLIC TRANSPORT. More emphasis will be placed on the provision of public transport especially rapid transit systems such as rapid rail, as a means of improving public access to cities. We recommend that such transport in inner city areas should be free.  4. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT.  (a) Adequate transportation systems will be provided to service decentralised industry.  (b) The transportation costs of all decentralised companies within regions will be automatically subsidised to the extent that the price of products marketed is competitive with industry in close proximity to large markets.  5. RESEARCH (See also policy on Research) It is to be noted that transport is one of the terms of reference for the Scientific and Industrial Research Corporation. Being an independent body, it will be able to advise the Minister of Transport, in a completely unbiased manner, of any findings relevant to the transport industry.  6. CIVIL AVIATION. New Zealand has built up, and is being served by, a most efficient and creditable passenger and freight service. In the agricultural and pastoral sphere, an industry has been established which could be regarded as the envy of the world for its ability to handle topdressing and spraying on all types of country. This has contributed considerably to New Zealand's increased production over recent years. Although N.A.C. provides an excellent main trunk service, there would appear to be room for more feeder services in some areas. It will be our policy to ensure that, where these are justified, finance will be made available for their establishment, and also to ensure that those other companies at present in operation are not put out of business through unfair competition. In parallel with other expanding industries, it is essential that finance be made available for expansion and modernisation. It will be the policy of a Social Credit Government to ensure that finance is made available on an equal basis to that of other sections of the transport industry.  7. COASTAL SHIPPING.  (a) We shall ensure that no unfair competition is created in our coastal shipping by other forms of transport.  (b) We shall ensure that finance is made available on an equal basis with other forms of transport.  (c) We shall encourage integration with other forms of transport.  8. EXTERNAL FREIGHTS. New Zealand is completely reliant on shipping and air services for taking its products to the markets of the world. It is, therefore, the duty of Government to ensure the continuous availability, efficiency and economy from the New Zealand point of view of these services. We view with concern the present lack of effective control over this vital link and over the charges we are obliged to pay for it from our overseas earnings.  9. CONTAINERISATION. Containerisation and port facilities will be investigated together with all transport services, to ensure that they are used to the best overall efficiency for New Zealand.  10. MODERN AIR SHIPS. Social Credit will investigate the possibilities of the modern air ship for transport.  WOMEN. The individual is more important than the state: systems should be made for people, not people made to fit into preconceived systems. This basic Social Credit philosophy and the policies in this manifesto apply to women just as much as men. We see both sexes as having equal status and we aim to provide economic and social justice for all, without discrimination, and in a truly democratic spirit. Social Credit recognizes women's ability to excel in either domestic, vocational, cultural or political spheres. A Social Credit Government would ensure that positions in the community were held on ability and experience and that there was no question of discrimination on grounds of sex, colour, race or religion. However, certain parts of this manifesto may apply to women more than men, namely, the policy on cottage-type maternity hospitals, our attitude to abortion, our policies on marriage and divorce law reform. But the League sees that removal of sex discrimination as only part of the answer. Our key battle is against inflation and economic circumstances which force women to go out to work, whether they want to or not. If women are to be truly liberated then they must be able to choose freely whether they want to continue a career or stay at home to look after a family. But at the moment that freedom of choice is restricted because the husband's income is no longer enough to keep the family. We will deal with the causes of inflation and restore the real purchasing power of the single wage.  YOUTH AND SPORT (See also Education, Housing, Industrial Relations). Since the future of any country is dependent on the rising generation it will be the policy of a Social Credit Government to encourage and assist all groups or societies responsible for youthful activities, including sport, such as Scouts, Guides, St. John's Cadets, Outward Bound, etc., to ensure that the enthusiasm and energies of youth are channelled to good purpose. The nature of youth participation at all levels should be as equal as possible, democratic, and voluntary.  1. NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL. The National Youth Council will be given greater responsibility in the planning and promotion of youthful activities to ensure that moneys voted to it are distributed equitably and to the best advantage.  2. BASE SITES AND EQUIPMENT. Every assistance will be given through the Council for base areas to enable the establishment of sporting and youthful activities where such areas are necessary, and assistance will be given towards the necessary equipment for such establishments. Assistance will also be given by way of grants to ensure the continued administration of training schemes.  3. OUTWARD BOUND. When and where appropriate, such schools as Outward Bound will be established throughout the country.  4. CIVIL DEFENCE. Co-ordination of various youthful activities with civil defence will be encouraged and assisted, in order that the energies of youth are utilized to the full. School groups could also be formed in a similar manner.  5. SOCIAL SERVICE CORES. A Social Credit Government will encourage the immediate setting up of a volunteer N.Z. Social Service Corps.  6. YOUTH HOT LINE. A Social Credit Government will establish a parliamentary Youth Hot Line - a spokesman for youth in cabinet.  7. AGE OF MAJORITY. The age of majority will be lowered from twenty to eighteen years.  8. OVERSEAS SPORTING TOURS. While we believe all teams should be selected on merit or ability we should accept teams sent by countries according to their own laws knowing full well that in every country people work to change laws.  APPENDIX. BACKGROUND TO THE POLICY STATEMENT ON RATING. The following sets out the Social Credit League's policy as an alternative to the rating methods at present available to local bodies. The League submits that the costs of present rate assessment and administration are excessive and unwarranted. The League's alternative will take the emphasis completely away from valuation, placing the emphasis in rural areas on land quality, and in urban areas on payment relative to services rendered. Once the system is adopted by a local body there should be no further costs involved in its administration from that point onwards. This will mean considerable savings, which will to some degree assist in stabilizing the ever-increasing rates in the short-term, while the League's local body finance proposals will assure ratepayers of long-term benefits. The "rateable value" as distinct from land or capital value shall be determined on the basis of the following three broad categories:  1. Rural.  2. Urban.  3. Private reservation.  RURAL AREAS AND LAND CLASSIFICATION. There has been in operation in New Zealand for some time a land classification system based on an accepted international standard. Classes vary from class one, which is the highest quality land, comprising deep loans and silts, to class eight, which comprises bare mountain tops and scree. From class one to eight are all the intermediate classes, which are well defined, as they are compiled from land inventory maps based on the physical properties of the land and its productive ability. Detailed soil maps are available for the whole of the country, so that it will be a relatively straightforward matter to complete classification for any one county, for the purpose of rating. Once the classification maps are completed, it will be simply a matter of super-imposing the titles on to the master sheet. The end result will be that every farm will be divided into various classes, so that every owner will know exactly for all time the areas in their respective classes. From this point onward the local body will be empowered to assess rates on the respective classes, which could be varied from riding to riding. In the case of county towns, there will be no reason why the adoption of the urban system cannot be implemented. Where there are industrial undertakings situated within the county, a special rate assessment could be arrived at commensurate with the services rendered by the local body concerned.  URBAN AREAS. In residential areas, the specific zones will be determined by the density of living units relative to the services provided by the local body. The three zonings within the residential category will be A, B and C. Residential A will be basically the family or single dwelling unit, with the lowest number of units per acre. Residential B will be zones surrounding zone C (high-density housing) and beyond, also fringing the commercial areas. Here density of the units will determine the zone boundary, but as with zone A, will be more clearly defined according to the number of home units per acre. Residential C will be high density housing, such as high rise flats. The unit density per site is established firstly by the site occupancy rate, and secondly by the location of the site in relation to areas of open space surrounding the site, and the dimensions of the streets in the area. This is also related to the number of units that can be placed on the site, and therefore the amount of local body services that these units will use. While the basic rate will be determined by the zone, the individual site rating must be determined by the use made of the particular site as compared with that of the adjoining site. For instance, a site with 10 flat units would pay proportionately higher rate to that containing one residence, although in the same zone. In the case of commercial zoning, the basic rateable value will be determined on a lineal basis. There will, however, have to be exemptions on those sections which are still being utilised as residential. These naturally will be rated on the equivalent of residential C. High rise buildings will pay a relatively higher rate to that of a single floor. This will be calculated on a sliding scale, based on the various factors relevant to the use being made of the local body services provided. Industrial zoning will be based on area, and the use made of local body services.  PRIVATE RESERVATION. This will apply to land which has been designated under the local authorities district scheme for preservation in its natural or existing state or where usage is restricted for environmental or conservation reasons. The category may be further divided into A, B, C, etc. according to extent or type of activity permitted. It will ensure that land will be retained as an effective reserve but may remain in private ownership. All three categories may be employed by any territorial local authority to ensure a just levy and to foster the objectives of the operative district scheme.