Remit On Age Lost (Press, 28 July 1980)

At the Young Nationals' conference held in Auckland on 27 July 1980, a remit expressing concern over the limited number of retiring senior National Ministers and members of Parliament was overwhelmingly defeated. Senior councillors from Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury-Westland plan to address this issue at the main conference, fearing a repeat of the National Party's "tired image" from the 1972 elections. Mr. Roy Johnston, the chairman of the Wellington electorate, mentioned that they were considering members of Parliament over the age of 65 for potential replacement, specifically targeting individuals such as Mr Highet, the Minister of Internal Affairs, who will be 68 by the next General Election, along with 67-year-old Minister of Works Mr W. L. Young and Minister of State Mr Thomson, who will be 66. While the Young Nationals' remit, originating from the Auckland division, called for a rejuvenation of the National caucus and Cabinet, Miss Belinda Vernon of Remuera argued against using age as a criterion for candidacy, advocating instead for prioritising ability and experience. Following the rejection of the age-related remit, the delegates adopted another from Auckland promoting the inclusion of more younger candidates, particularly women. The conference also supported several other remits, including those for Saturday and Sunday trading in tourist areas and a review of the tertiary assistance scheme, which faced administrative concerns from bursary officers. A notable remit urging the Government to discourage the New Zealand Rugby Football Union from inviting the Springbok rugby team to tour in 1981 was decisively rejected, with attendees affirming that the rugby union should govern itself without interference. Additionally, the conference agreed on lowering the drinking age to 18 and seeking legislation to permit the establishment of small cafes and the introduction of government-controlled casinos in New Zealand. Finally, the retiring chairman, Mr Martin Gummer, launched a policy booklet outlining the Young Nationals' ideas for change, which proposed reforms on unemployment benefits, advocating for payments to be disbursed for an initial four to six weeks of registration and reduced benefits for those refusing job offers. The booklet also promoted individual freedoms by calling for the repeal of the Official Secrets Act, the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act, and the sections of the Crimes Act that criminalise homosexual acts between consenting men.

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