Extreme Right groups gain as economy gets worse

Press, 21 April 1980, Page 1

Extreme Right groups gain as economy gets worse

By

MIKE HANNAH

Christchurch people are pouring thousands of dollars into Right-wing groups, which appear to he flourishing as New Zealand’s economy worsens.

The growth of extreme Right-wing and Left-wing groups in recent months reflects the search by many people for "simplistic solutions” to the country’s economic problems, according’ to a Christchurch s political scientist, Professor W. K. Jackson.

Although both groups of extremists were using the sar.e tactics to gain positions of power —by infiltrating other groups as individuals -r- they had little chance of gaining sufficient popular support, Professor Jackson said. Right-wing groups that have experienced a phenomenal growth in publicity, and apparently support include the League of Rights, the Individuals’ Fight for Freedom and the Christchurch Tax Reform Movement. Only the Tax Reform Movement is based in Christchurch, but the other two North Is-land-based groups claim strong ...membership and financial ■ support in Christchurch. Their growth follows renewed interest in the Socialist Unity Party and the alleged domination of trade unions by S.U.P. members.

All of them have had literature, such as posters and petitions, circulated in Christchurch,i notably in shops run by students of Zenith Applied Philosophy, a group which runs “business” courses under the leadership of Mr J .E. Dalhoff, a former official of the Scientology organisation.

The groups have spent thousands of dollars in recent weeks on newspaper advertisements calling for public opposition to communism and to. tradeunion policies which they assert are Communist-in-spired. The tax reformers have called for reduced taxation and Government

spending, particularly on the State welfare system. Mr G. N. Russell, the spokesman for the Tax Reform Movement and a long-time student of Z.A.P., has said that he would like to see Christchurch become a “tax rebel city.” The support of the eight Christchurch members of Parliament would be enough to turn a Government, he said last week.

Professor Jackson said that voters had become disillusioned with National and Labour, and looked for the “simplistic solutions” which fringe groups offered.

“In any society there is always the potential for these groups. As soon as things don’t go well, out they come,” he said. .. “What is always interesting is who is putting money behind them and why.” The Tax Reform Movement claims to have the support of about 2000 Christchurch people, with perhaps 100 of them providing financial support. The League of Rights, whose members were barred last year from the Social Credit Political League for alleged antiSemitic belief:, has said in a recent newsletter that most of its “basic fund” of $lO,OOO, raised since last November, has come from supporters in the South Island. The Individuals Fight for Freedom, which has printed an anti-Communist petition and which plans to hold anti-Communist marches next month, has said mat its strongest support comes from Christchurch, where it numbered more than 6000 supporters. Professor Jackson said that the . growth of these movements could also be a reflection of frustration among South Islanders — a sentiment that could

also explain the rapid growth of the South Island movement, he said.

T.I.F.F. said that its success in Christchurch could be credited to the work of “group leaders” who had recruited supporters in the city. They had been asked to find 10 supporters each, and the recruits were then asked to find another 10 supporters each. Either the appeal of the movement, or the organisation of supporters, or both, has ensured the success of this strategy. T.I.F.F.’s petition has been circulated among fast-fuod bars run by Z.A.P. students. According to one source, Z.A.P. also has about 2000 students in Z.A.P. courses, which encourage “positive thinking” based on a philosophy of “free enterprise.” Professor Jackson said he did not see the extreme Right-wing and Left-wing groups as a threat “at this stage.” “The question is, though what will their next tactic be,” he said. It was interesting that both the Far Left and the Far Right used tactics which were devised by Lenin to gain positions of power, by joining political groups as individuals rather than as groups, he said. Leaders of all the groups insist that they are working as individuals and it is not possible to say whether members of one group belong to another group. However, T.I.F.F. has said that it lists Mr David Thompson, the director of the League of Rights among its members, while leaders of Z.A.P. are known to sympathise with Right-wing groups such as the League of Rights and T.I.F.F.

“Frankly, I think they are cranks. They have got a long way to go to get a great deal of popular support for their causes,” Professor Jackson said.