Mr Moyle out of race

Press, 27 April 1979, Page 22

Mr Moyle out of race

PA Wellington The former Minister of Agriculture, Mr Colin Moyle, has withdrawn from the contest for presidency of the Labour Party. This was confirmed on Wednesday by the party’s general secretary (Mr J. F. Wybrow), who said Mr Moyle had withdrawn from the contest late last wek. “He reassessed the situation and is now quite happy with the calibre of those others seeking the post,” Mr Wybrow said. This now leaves only three of the si.x men who originally sought the top party post in the running. The president will be elected at Labour’s

annual conference, which begins on May 14. Those remaining are the party’s senior vice-president and member of Parliament for Palmertston North (Mr J. ■ A. Waiding); a former Auck- ; land mayoral candidate (Mr J. Anderton); and Mr W. i Woods, of Christchurch.

Mr Anderton unsuccessfully stood for the presidency against the member of Parliament for Roskil! (Mr A. J. Faulkner) last year, and Mr Woods has tried twice before. Mr Moyle, who is now farming in Northland, failed to win the Whangarei seat at the General Election last year.

Party sources believe that Mr Waiding will probably win the presidency when the conference vote takes place, and that Mr Anderton might well bceome senior vicepresident. His main rival for the post might be Mr S. McCaffley, who earlier withdrew from

the presidential contest in favour of Mr Anderton, in an attempt to help the job go to a non-member of Parliament. Front-runner for the position of junior vice-president, for which there are 18 nominees, is probably an Auckland University lecturer (Ms Helen Clark).