I am calling on the party of reality to meet reality in an early election. The budget will have a bad effect on industrial relations in the coming year although most people agree that an improvement in that area is the foundation on which our industry can be made more competitive. The provisions in the taxation area will not improve industrial relations. There is a connection between taxation reform and contentment on the part of trade unionists in their places of work. Absenteeism, which caused controversy earlier this year, to some extent, results from discontent with the taxation system. The budget has not done enough to meet the demand for tax reform. I accept that we cannot have the entire instalment of tax reform but we could begin a serious step by step improvement in the situation.
There is no credibility attached to the borrowing requirements. If one looked at the record of the two previous Ministers for Finance one could not suggest that the present Minister has much capital to go on in the hope that his targets will be received seriously. To paraphrase another man at another time in history, all we can say to the Government at this juncture is, in the name of God go.