‘No significance’ in resignations

Press, 9 June 1980, Page 6

‘No significance’ in resignations

. The resignation of three Dunedin members of the South Island Movement is of “no significance at all,” said a spokesman for the movement’s Christchurch, branch last evening. Mr J. M. Rutherford, a Christchurch committee member, said that the movement was “alive and .well” and still full of enthusiasm. The Dunedin members resigned last week because they could not! accept the movement’s leaning towards federalism as the answer to the South • Island’s problems. They felt that the Christchurch committee Was fully committed to state government within a federal; New Zealand. .

Mr Rutherford agreed that Christchurch members supported federalism, . but' he said this was the'purpose of the movement’s petition, which was “thrashed out” among all branches before it was circulated a few weeks ago; ■ I-';..

“We are only doing what branches at Dunedin, Invercargill, Oamaru, and elsewhere have been doing,” Mr Rutherford said. He said there was also a feeling in the Christchurch branch that branches should be set up in the North Island, “because the problems the South Island is suffering from are also being suffered in darkest Northland, in New Plymouth, and other places in the North Island.”

’ The movement was a loosely, knit organisation, and differences of opinion, and even- resignatons, were to be expected. , The ‘ Christchurch branch will hold its annual meeting in the Town Hall Limes Room on June 24, at which its chairman (Mr S. M. Andrews) is expected to announce his resignation. Mr Andrew’s resignation, however, has arisen from the pressure of busine;- commitmentsi and not from any disagreement within the movement.