Socred seeks Waitangi bill

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32965, 11 July 1972, Page 2

Socred seeks Waitangi bill

(Neto Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 10

The Social Credit Political League has written to the four Maori members of Parliament requesting them to sponsor a bill which would ratify, but not retrospectively, the land and citizenship provisions of the Treaty of Waitangi.

In the letter to the Maori members, the leader of the Social Credit Political League (Mr B. Beetham) and the league’s spokesman on race relations, Mr T. Tehira, said it was obvious that the Maori people desired a clear and unambiguous declaration of their economic rights to satisfy their social, cultural, and psychological needs. Mr Beetham said making the ratification retrospective

would not be feasible, and would worsen race relations. Copies of the letter were sent to the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) and the Minister of Maori Affairs (Mr Maclntyre). 57 CANDIDATES So far, 57 candidates have been selected, and many other electorates were in the process of selecting candidates, said the league’s chief press liaison officer, Mr F. C. Roberts, today. He added that the league would have a candidate in every electorate. The secretary of the league’s political executive, Mr G. Bryant, said the league had been completely reunited since the split on May 13. The league was confident it would win three or four seats, which would be all it needed to hold a balance in Parliament. The Hobson seat was regarded as a virtual certainty. “Our candidate, Howard Manning, is gaining support all the time, and there has been a marked shift back to the league since he announced his intention of standing,” he said. Mr Bryant said the league also had a strong chance in the Egmont electorate, and had good prospects on the West Coast and in Nelson.

The budget for the league’s campaign is $50,000, compared with $l5OO for the 1969 General Election.

Mr Beetham says he may tour the South Island next month.