National accused of election ‘dirty tricks?

Press, 2 September 1980, Page 1

National accused of election ‘dirty tricks?

PA • ■ Auckland The Mayor of East Coast Bays, Mr A. M. McCulloch, says he is resigning from the National Party because ,of its J'grubby politics.” Mr ' McCulloch alleges that a letter addressed to party branch secretaries in the East Coast Bays electorate shows a smear campaign was started once he announced he was going to stand for Parliament as an Independent in the byrelection on Saturday. Because of possible embarrassment to him and party, officials; Mr McCulloch has decided .not to : chair the party’s campaign closing meeting on Thursday evening. s The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Taiboys) is expected to address the meet- ■ ing. '• . ' ■ ■ ?. The letter which annoys Mr McCulloch, calls on . branch secretaries to encourage party-members to.

write letters to the “North Shore Times Advertiser,” the “New Zealand Herald” ' and the “Auckland Star” newspapers. The letterwriters are urged to criticise Mr McCulloch for his announced intention of seeking election as the electorate’s member. (Mr McCulloch had said he would stand as a candidate in the by-elec-tion because he was. worried someone from outside the electorate might be nominated by the National Party.) The letter which is signed, by the electorate’s public’ relations officer/Mr R; P. Lewis, recommends “lines of attack” and ad-. vises correspondents that, an address must be given and the letters signed “even although the signature might be rather illegible.” : • ‘ ; ■ ' Mr-Lewis, a Browns. Bay lawyer, says in his letter: j

“a nom-de-plume can rbe used. If one is used,;your identity will not be’.revealed by the newspapers concerned. '" ;/ > ‘‘You may also use a name < other than your own.” | Mr Lewis adds: "It is , preferable that prominent /people in the National Party do not give their true names because we obviously do not wish this to be known that it is a deliberate National Party campaign.”. ~ Mr Lewis could not be , reached last evening but the; chairman - of the electorate, Mr R. V. Browne, said Mr Lewis, who is the chairman of the Torbay branch, sent the letter to the secretaries of the four other branches of the electorate.,

■ Mr Browne • said: the letter was written on July 30 in isolation and; '“Without ; my knowledge.” '■;•- " “We have never had to resort to smear tactics in East Coast Bays,”' said Mr Browne. “I would not condone such a’campaign.” . He said Mr Lewis wrote the’letter at the time Mr McCulloch ■. was being “rather vociferous”: about the National Party. , : Mr Lewis became a little incensed ..and; wrote the letter which suggested certain steps be taken. Mr Browne said he first heard about the letter at the end. of July but did not see a copy until Mr McC.ulloch showed him one '■ at a combined meet-

k • ing of all four by-election |'candidates at Mairangi | • Bay- on Sunday evening, " i “I told him (Mr McCulloch) I was sorry, it Iwas totally counter-produc-tive,” he said. “You don’t win votes out of attacking . people personally.” ,4 Mr Browne said Mr ’Lewis agreed that he wrote the letter of his own volition and that in hindsight, it would have been counter-productive if it had been used. , . Mr Browne added: “I don’t think anyone took much notice of the letter.” Mr McCulloch first saw the letter shortly, before . he left on a visit to North ' America. He left' his byelection nominations papers with friends but when they heard the National Party - had selected a local candidate. Dr D. T. Brash, to contest the "seat, they

decided not to submit Mr McCulloch’s nomination. Mr McCulloch returned to New Zealand last Wed.nesday. < < Mr McCulloch, who has been a member of the /National Party for about 12 1 years, said he had good reason to believe that more than four people saw the letter. He said: “The people that got,this letter and acted on it .■. ./ these are the people who choose the candidates. ‘ “I am resigning from the party as of tonight. I have had enough of political parties. We have been hearing of the dirty tricks' brigade. I suppose this is the local version of it.” Mr McCulloch said he would vote for the Social Credit candidate, Mr G. T. Knapp, and he advised those who had intended supporting him in the by--election to do likewise.