The quality of any government can be measured by:

(a)	the calibre of its members; and
(b)	its performance in recent years.

The decision of every thinking voter should be governed by these considerations. Compare the leaders of the parties and decide who you would prefer to lead your country and represent it overseas. Compare key men in the cabinet -real or shadow. Compare policies and promises and the way they have been implemented.

As university students, we are conscious of education, and. perhaps misguidely, we place an excessive value on it. Let us examine the National government—9 persons have at least one university degree and home have more. But many have other qualifications—for example, the Minister of Finance has no degree, yet he is A.R.A.N.Z and five of his colleagues are similarly qualified. In addition. 15 of the new candidates offering themselves at the forthcoming elections are University graduates.

Qualifications

Let us look at some specific members of the National Government and their careers and experience.

Rt Hon. K. J. Holyoakc. Probably the most educated man in Parliament—not book-learning but applied learning. He is a shrewd and highly skilled negotiator, as was apparent from his recent visit to the United States and Canada. Only a few months ago. when our lamb exports to the U.S. were threatened. Mr Holyoake sent a strong message to that country. On his return, he had "new and firm assurances". How would his oppsite number have fared?

Mr Holyoake is recognised as a world figure in the realm of statesmanship.

Rt Hon. J. R. Marshall. LL.M. B.A. A lawyer by profession. Mr Marshall was the architect of the Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and the Industrial Development Conference. Do you remember the opposition to these that came from a vociferous group? But who would deny their value now? The very people who castigated these enterprising and forward-looking schemes at their inception, are clamouring for the treasury benches.

Performance

• • Export receipts in June 1969 exceeded a Billion dollars a year (in 1960, just over 600 million).
• • 60% of all exports now sold outside Britain (in 1960. 47%).
• • Manufactured exports last year were $84.2 million (in 1960. $16.3 million).
• • Forest products exports last year were $60 million (in 1962, only 15 million).
• • Additional trade officers appointed overseas (during the last Labour Government, many posts were not filled when they became vacant).

[unclear: A]. P. Shand B.A. When a body is elected to look after a small section of the community, how can its leaders take a firm line when negotiating with what are sometimes the unreasonable demands of its own supporters? This has always been the problem of a Labour Government in office.

Tom Shand is a name synonomous with industrial harmony. Serious strikes (very common in England over the last three years) are virtually unknown in New Zealand.

R. D. Muldoon, A.R.A.N.Z. What election promises is the National Government making which it cannot keep? None. Why? Because it hasn't made any. Why? Because the country can't afford something for nothing.

Logical? Note quite, but Mr Muldoon is intent on keeping New Zealand's finances on an even keel. His firmness has restored our balance of payments.

Performance

• • Ross Committee Report on Taxation—the recommendations of which have in the main been implemented by the Government.
• • Tax incentives for farming, forestry, fishing and tourism.
• • Sharp rise in savings and investment in national development works.
• • Record increase in export income.
• • Full recovery from the worst recession since the '30's.

Hon. Brian Talboys, B.A. A sound administrator, based on experience obtained while working with agricultural journals.

Performance

• • Farm production has risen by 27% since 1960.
• • Demonstration farms have been established.
• • Lands Department has developed 1.25 million over the past five years.

Hon. A. E. Kinsella, M.A. A practising teacher before he entered politics, Mr Kinsella has striven for an upgrading of th teaching profession and education generally.

Performance

• • In 1960 14,547 people attended university— today twice as many—29,370.
• • Spending on education today is $205 million—in 1960 it was $86 million.
• • All teachers' colleges now operating a three year course for primary teachers—(change over from two year course was completed in half the time recommended by the Commission on Education).
• • Smaller classes—(a) in primary: last year first steps were taken towards 1:35 pupils. (b) secondary: a new staff schedule has been introduced this year to give teacher pupil ratio of 1:32 for upper and lower sixth forms as a prelude to smaller classes generally.

Law Reforms

Law reform under the National Government has been phenominal. The late J. R. Hanan was a visionary and under his guidance the following reforms were enacted:

• • An ombudsman was appointed and his jurisdiction extended.
• • An administrative division of the Supreme Court was established to hear appeals from administrative tribunals.

• • Family law reforms including:—better procedures for reconciliation.

  —recognition that where reconciliation fails divorce should be available on common sense basis.

  —Wives have been made equal with their husbands as guardians of their children. —Maintenance Law gave greater stress on need—heavier liability on the father of illegitimate children.

• • Liquor Referendum resulting in late closing —reducing voting and drinking age to twenty.
• • Legal aid.
• • Periodic detention extended to include adults.
• • Our Government has met the cost of selecting and training marriage guidance counsellors.
• • More liberal tests for paying costs to innocent defendants.
• • Introduced Breath and Blood tests to cut road toll caused by alcohol.
• • Established demerits points system to pinpoint persistent traffic offenders.

These are only a few indicative highlights of he progress and achievments of he National Government. Mention could have been made of many other things e.g. Blue Sreak Rail Car, Aluminium Smelter. Steel Works, Natural Gas and the phenominal increase in tourism.

The record is impressive—bu let's take a quick glance a a few of the new candidates who are offering thmselves at he forthcoming elections:

H. C. Templeton, M.A. (Otago University) in Classics and History. Awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and was awarded a first class honours degre in History at Oxford. Is standing for Awarua.

Ralph Miller, M.Sc in Zoology—deputy headmaster at Heretaunga College.

H. K. Ngata, B.A., B.Com.—standing for Eastern Maori.

F. J. Handy—a lawyer by profession, Frank Handy also has an M.A. with first class honours in Philosophy.

Dr Dawson—Candidate for Wigram is a Fellow of Auckland College of Surgeons.

W. C. Edwards. Born in Tonga and aged 35. Mr Edwards graduatd LL.B. at Auckland and is an Auckland University Rugby Blue and has represented North Island Universities and New Zealand Universities.

Space does permit to detail all the achievements of the Naional Government and their achievements of their candidates. Suffice to say that their records are impeccable. The calibre of men and women standing has never been higher.

Age:

Average age of sitting members is 53 years and of new candidates 42—a combination of experience and youth.

When you decide on which party you wish to govern New Zealand remember these achievements and then decide which party you will vote for.

There is also an engineer and a veterinary surgeon, lawyers and accountants, farmers and businessmen who are standing.