Pompous P.M.?—‘A Lot Is Propaganda’

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32067, 15 August 1969, Page 1

Pompous P.M.?—‘A Lot Is Propaganda ’

sYes, there is this feeling that the Prime Minister is a pompons man,” said the president of the National Party (Mr E. [D. Holt) in Christchurch yesterday, hut I thinlc of’it is inspired propaganda.” , ’5" -

Mr Holt said that he believed there was a deliberate campaign to make Mr Holyoake appear pompous. “The easiest way to discredit a party is to attack its leader,” he said.

“But Mr Holj>ake has been attacked only oc trivial things. No-one tsUble to deny his undoubted anility as an administrator, ortthat he is a great leader of the country. “Naturally we kre taking what steps we can to protect his image—I believathe is one of the really great Prime Ministers this conttry has had.” | ! Mr Holt is in Christchurch jin the course of a pre-®ection Itour to assess the stifengths and weaknesses of electorates which the party has clarified as “marginal” or “key."! “IMAGE STRONGER He agreed that the swii* of the pendulum was a fact of life in New Zealand polities, but he said that the imatee of the party and of the G®’ernment was consideraw

stronger now than it had been for the last two years—and it was growing stronger. “I’m sticking my neck out here,” he said, "but I’ll predict that we will win by a majority of four or five seats. We hope it will be eight or 10. “The really critical seats are Eden, Taupo, and Miramar. These are the ones that we hold marginally and We must do everything-we can to hold them if we want to remain the Government “But it is possible with the changed boundaries that we will lose one of them, and if so we must make it up somewhere else. We hope to regain Hobson and we are working hard to take in New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Napier.

“St Albans is virtually a new seat with an old name, and I believe we can win it” Mr Holt met'the St Albans electorates executive on Wednesday evening and the Rangiora executive last ingPARTY RECORD He said that he believed the National Party deserved to be returned to power this year on its record and its handling of the economy over the last three years. The National Government had had the courage to plan for the future, and the future was bright with promise. Returned to office, the party would implement the plans which it had had the foresight to bring into being. Mr Holt said that the membership of the National Party had grown by more than 26,000 in the last year as a result of a special membership drive. It was hoped it would reach nearly 200,000 by the end of the year.