MR M. W. GOURLEY Jobs, rights, Maori land

Press, 9 November 1978, Page 10

MR M. W. GOURLEY Jobs, rights, Maori land

Putting forward the policies which it believes the Labour Party should adopt is a big part of the Socialist Action League’s campaign, according to the candidate for Christchurch Central, Mr M. Gourley.

The fact that members of the league were “undemocratically” expelled from the Labour Party in 1975 does not deter Mr Gourley. Overriding its differences with the Labour Party is the league’s desire to get rid of the National Government under Mr Muldoon.

“We realise that people do not see us as the alternative to Muldoon, so we orientate ourselves to the party that relates to the

sort of people we want to reach.”

door-to-door sale of the league’s paper. People, he finds, are interested in general issues. “Very few

Mr Gourley is a 21-year-old volunteer community worker with the Y.M.C.A. and is particularly involved with the Recreation for Disabled project. He stood for the Labour Party in the local body elections in Christchurch last year He left the Labour Party last year and joined the Socialist Action League because he believed the leadership had neglected the fight for social change and social justice. Mr Gourley wants to “air the issues” in his campaign, which will be done mainly through the

want to know about the gutters outside in a General Election.” Unemployment — the problem of working people whom Mr Gourley espei cially wants to reach, women’s rights and the Maori land issue are the planks on which Mr Gourley will stand. Reducing the working week and nationalising industries are two policies | which could be applied to I alleviate the unemployI ment of working people | who produce the country’s wealth, says Mr Gourley. As for women’s rights, Mr Gourley’s campaign will centre round the abortion issue. “We want to challenge the right of

the State to say whether a woman has an abortion. It should be the woman’s right to choose.” Mr Gourley believes there is still a lot of interest in the Maori land issue among individuals and groups that were involved in the Bastion Point protest and in legal battles for land rights in Christchurch.

There is a great deal of disenchantment with the two main parties, says Mr Gourley. “We have' had three years of Labour and three years of National. Voters have had a pretty good chance to compare them and have found them wanting.”