Social Issues To Fore In National Remits (Press, 15 July 1974)

The National Party's thirty-eighth annual conference is set to take place in Auckland from July 26 to 29, 1974. Key issues encompassing various political and economic activities will be discussed, with fifteen remits brought before the full conference. The first debate will address the modern role of women, led by the Pol-Link group aiming to recruit young candidates for the upcoming General Election in 1975. The remit encourages the party to recognise and adapt policies to reflect the changing role of women, including pre-school education, maternity leave, and addressing discrimination against women in the workforce. Other significant remits include housing finance, censorship, rural issues, population control, the environment, abortion reform, voluntary unionism, law and order, urban development, superannuation, and energy resources. Key topics for discussion include the proposed Rolleston new town scheme, with a call for regional aspirations to be considered alongside central government proposals. This theme extends to a South Canterbury remit advocating for robust regional development systems that reflect local needs. Each conference day will highlight a subject of special interest. These range from stabilising New Zealand's population growth rates to revising abortion policy, with the aim of taking a referendum on potential changes. A notable remit from the Young Nationals seeks to legalise homosexual behaviour between consenting adults privately, while another calls for social security to cover prescribed sterilisation. Additionally, the conference will address educational responsibilities for intellectually handicapped children, ensuring free medical treatment until the age of 16, and the implementation of suggested aid recommendations from a 1972 Royal Commission on social security. Other proposals include requesting a more liberalised approach to financing rural housing, allowing agricultural workers to democratically determine their future, and advocating for the establishment of commercial rabbit farms. On environmental matters, there are calls for increased irrigation expenditure and government support for planting native and exotic plants for beautification. Further, the conference will discuss essential matters of law and order, demanding a platform for the 1975 election that outlines strategies to combat rising violent crime rates. A new superannuation scheme is proposed, focusing on immediate payouts, inflation protection, and voluntary membership. In terms of social welfare, there is an appeal for the next government to increase beneficiaries' allowable income. On censorship, one remit suggests that no films should be banned unless excessively focused on sex, violence, or cruelty lacking artistic merit. Lastly, housing support proposals advocate for substantial low-interest or suspensory loans to promote home ownership, reducing reliance on state rental options. The conference is expected to set the stage for the National Party's policy direction leading into the next general election.

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