'Party solidarity’ candidate’s aim

Press, 28 February 1981, Page 6

'Party solidarity’ candidate’s aim

PA Auckland A senior Labour Party official, Mr A. O’Neill, who is challenging Mr J. P. Anderton for the party presidency, said yesterday that he would not be bound by any “factions or cults which may arise in the party.’’

“Party solidarity will be my aim,” said Mr O’Neill, an Auckland trades councillor and member of the party’s New Zealand council. Mr O’Neill refused to elaborate when asked whether he felt the present party organisation was split into factions. He said he was not happy with the party’s financial position, but he would not comment further, saying this was “a domestic matter.” In an apparent reference to Mr Anderton, he said: "I shall definitely not, if elected president, be announcing party policy or meddling with the affairs of the party spokesmen.”

He said a principal duty of the president should be to see the decisions of the rank and file at the annual conference were carried out. The immediate task of the Labour Party was to demonstrate to the people that it was the only party that could offer progressive and realistic policies, he sgid. Mr O’Neill pledged the support of the rank and file and the union affiliates to “the competent team,” of Parliamentarians, led by Mr Rowling and Mr Lange. He dismissed Social Credit as a “huff-puff,” party and said most of the workers knew Social Credit’s “outdated policies” were unworkable. The National Party would fail because of its record of “closing factories and businesses and driving thousands of skilled workers overseas or on the dole,” he said. Mr O’Neill conceded that

his chances of defeating Mr Anderton were remote. “However, democracy will be at work,” he said. Mr O’Neill stood for the presidency in 1978, but withdrew before the election in favour of Mr Anderton. He caused a storm in July by asserting that the Labour Party was being infiltrated by Communists and Trotsky sympathisers. He said they were becoming “a malignant growth within the party” and he thought they were losing the party votes. In other nominations for ballots at the party’s annual conference in May, Mr S. McCaffley is returned unapposed as senior vice-president. The junior vice-president, Mr D. Duggan, has five challengers, including the former Post Office Association secretary, Mr I. Reddish, and the member of Parliament for Onehunga, Mr F. Gerbic. Details Page 5