Move against the tide?

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33995, 8 November 1975, Page 19

Move against the tide?

The Miramar electorate, which covers the near-island of Miramar, the isthmus which joins it to Wellington and a large segment of the At ellington mainland, has a tradition of producing electoral surprises. After a healthy infusion of Stite houses in the J 930 s Miramar (with boundaries very different from those of today) tended to favour Labour. Mr W. A. Fox held the' seat for Labour for some vears until 1966, when Mr W. L. Young scored a surprise and marginal win for National. He has held it narrowly since, even surviving the Labour drift of 1972 — though it has been said that had Labour put up a less abrasive candidate than Dr Brian Edwards the result might well have been different. As it was, Mr Young emerged with a majority of 434 in a field of six candidates, polling 8294 votes to Dr Edward s 7860. The issues this election are more sharply concentrated in the main parties. Mr Young is challenged by Mr F. J. C. Morgan (Social C rediti, Ms Cathy Wilson (Values), and Mr J. F. W. Wybrow (Labour). The only one of these who. stood in 1972 is Mr Morgan, a long-time local resident who polled 677 votes. Very’ plainly, the Labour challenge this year is a powerful one. Mr Wybrow, aged 47, spent 21 y ears in the Treasury and the Ministry of Works. Since 1971. he has been general secretary of the Labour Party. He was per-

sonal private secretary' to the late Mr N. E. Kirk when he was in Opposition, and has wide interests in public speaking, home-and-school associations, and sports clubs. Though kept busy’ as Labour’s national secretary. Mr Wybrow has plunged into his ture with enthusiasm and considerable know-how. He has taken a leaf from Mr Young’s book in attacking his task the “hard way.” So far. he has knocked on some 3000 doors in the electorate to introduce himself, and calculates that he has about 2500 doors to go.

Mr Wybrow, in one respect. may be ahead of Mr Young in his psychological approach. Six months ago, he and his family moved into the Miramar electorate. (Mr Young has remained at Kelburn, which is in the Karori electorate.) Mr Wybrow is well pleased with the change. “I am in Miramar. I live in it, walk through it, know its people,” he said. “Better still, they are beginning to know me.”

Mr Young has proved himself a strong competitor in the electoral game. His defeat of Mr Fox was largely earned in the old way of knocking on doors, attending meetings, and making himself available to electors. He is 61. and has a family of one son and four daughters.

He served for three years overseas during the Second World War, is a councillor of the Automobile Association (Wellington), and has a close liaison with scouting. He is a life member of a Wellington debating club and of a rowing club. During the last session of Parliament,