Socred seeks ‘fair go’

Press, 29 August 1978, Page 3

Socred seeks ‘fair go’

PA ~ Wellington Social Credit would protest to the Broadcasting Corporation’s rules committee unless television gave it a “fair go” during the election, said the league’s political executive secretary, Mr J. Body (Auckland) at the week-end. Two programmes on a particular television channel had given a “distorted” account of Social Credit’s ratings in two recent opinion polls, said Mr Body. The television commentators had compared the positions of Labour and National in the polls with their position at the same time before the 1975 election, but had not done the same thing for Social Credit, he told the league’s annual conference. Mr Body said that if they had, they would have revealed that Social Credit’s present support, even though down from earlier in the year, was far more than at the same time in 1975. Mr Body said if the same “distortion” happened when

the next polls came out “then the appropriate complaint will be made in the strongest possible terms.” Social Credit’s youth section chairman, Mr Tony Harbottle, resigned at the week-end after it was discovered he had never been formally elected. Mr Harbottle, who on Friday survived a no-confidence vote after withdrawing at the request of the president (Mr G. Bryant) a remit on legal-

: ising marijuana, had been ' appointed interim chairman ! by Mr Bryant. This was revealed by Mr ’ Harbottle on Saturday when ! delegates moved that ■ officers be formally elected, i Before then, Mr Harbottle, from Hastings, had present* - ed a series of youth remits ! to the full Social Credit con- : ference — remits which, it : emerged, had been passed by, < only one of the league’s

. three regions, the South Island. Youth sections exist in 30 to 40 electorates and were ' formed in the league’s regions i this year, but the national : youth group had not formally been set up before it met , on Friday. Not until Satur- • day was it moved that : officers be formally elected. Immediately after the : vote, Mr Harbottle said he t would not be available for s re-election.