Socred conference sets its sights

Press, 30 August 1978, Page 10

Socred conference sets its sights

By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY

The Social Credit Political League has gained a great deal from its weekend conference, and has demonstrated its ability to learn as well as instruct. The main gain has been the decision that it is un» realistic to imagine that it will step into the Treasury benches in November. Understandable is its more limited aim to capture at least 15 per cent of the vote this year — and four Parliamentary seats. Much of the conference reflected today’s worries, such as the loss of public favour indicated in the public opinion polls, coupled with the realisation that to mount a national electoral effort requires more money and capital-backing than the party had realised. So the first aim of the conference was to bring about an acceleration and concentration of effort. Most of what the league has in funds will be directed to keeping its' leader (Mr B. C. Beetham) in the new Rangitikei seat, and to winning Bay of Islands, Kaipara and Hastings. It was the Bay of Islands which first returned a Social Credit candidate, Mr V. F. Cracknell, to

Parliament, but it is worth noting that a recent reassessment of the new boundaries, against the voting pattern for 1972 and 1975, places Ran* gitikei, Bay of Islands and Kaipara all in the “safe National” category, and classes Hastings as “marginal National,”

Social Credit may still have to pin its colours to the fact that it is a “personality party.” The pleasant, effective personality of Bruce Beetham won this year’s Rangitikei byelection for Social Credit, and may triumph over the additional handicaps imposed by the new borders. In Hastings the drivingforce of the Te Aute teacher, Mr J. Dwyer, could place the sitting member (Mr W. R. Fenton, Nat.) at risk. It could be said that Social Credit is a pedagogues’ party. Bruce Beetham, Jeremy Dwyer and George Bryant all owe their ease on the platform to the fact that they are teachers.

With them Social Credit has swung away from emphasising monetary policies, and has adopted a stance somewhere between liberalism and more modern values. Inevitably this

will bring it votes from Values Party ■ followers, as well as those of National.

Mr Cracknell, in his speech, suggested that in the decade since his ■ term in Parliament the league had changed from amateur to professional status. It could be said with equal truth that the theories propounded by Social Credit protagonists today do not quite match those advocated by enthusiastic Social Crediters against the late Sir Sidney Holland in 1954.

Social Credit frankly needs money. It is also a party in its own right, specifically' wanting nothing from Labour. Messrs Beetham and Crackn-ell both attacked the two main parties. The implication is that with money (and perhaps a new name) Social Credit aspires to the Treasury benches in 1984.

In Social Credit minds, this prospect is sufficiently close for the divisiveness of an abortion vote to be avoided. The decision on the Security Intelligence Service was similarly workmanlike — to transfer the power tb issue surveillance warrants from the Prime Minister to the Chief Justice.