Labour visiting boardrooms

Press, 25 June 1979, Page 9

Labour visiting boardrooms

PA Wellington The president of the Labour Party (Mr J. P. Anderton) says he and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) are canvassing the nation’s business boardrooms for financial support. He had found a warmer welcome by some companies than he believed a National Party president would have found. Mr Anderton said, after a Labour Party council meeting in Wellington. “I believe it is in the best interests of democracy that all main parties receive a contribution towards the establishment and continuance of the democratic process,” he said. Only 37 companies had supported the party by donations “in any significant way” in the past, he said. Mr Anderton said that if businesses had contributed to the National Party in the past, after 26 years of National government in the last 32 years they might wonder whether their money had been well spent.

Since he was elected Labour Party president last month, Mr Anderton said he had been "preaching financial realities.”

“I have made it very clear that the financial resources of the party are totally inadequate fcrr a modern political party,” he said. Much closer contacts with trade unions were also planned by the Labour Party. In an unusual move, the council met the Federation of Labour’s executive for several hours.

They decided to hold regular meetings of the Joint Council of Labour, linking the executives of the party and the F.0.L., beginning with one early next month.

This body has existed for many years, but it has been moribund recently. “The joint council meetings will not be just friendly chats. They will get down to hard policy areas where the views of the industrial . movement will be put to the political party,” Mr Anderton said.