Mr Courtney given boost

Press, 10 April 1981, Page 3

Mr Courtney given boost

The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) has apparently not ruled out the chances of Nelson voters electing an Independent member of Parliament in this year’s General Election. The present Independent member for Nelson, Mr M. F. Courtney, was introduced to Prince Charles recently by Mr Muldoon as the only Independent member in New Zealand. According to Mr Courntey, Mr Muldoon had also told Prince Charles that New Zealand had had two or three Indpendent members in recent times, but that their political lives had been very short. Mr Courtney had then commented that this might be,his fate as well. Mr Muldoon had said, “I .wouldn’t be tob■_ sure about that, I wouldn’t be too sure about that at all.” This was related by Mr Courtney to reporters after he had addressed the Insti-

tute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Christchurch yesterday. Mr Courtney said he would decide in August whether he would stand as an Indpendent candidate. He ruled out the possibility of his standing for the National Party, which has still to elect its candidate in Nelson. “In 1976 I was approached by the three parties before I stood for election,” he said. “To be honest, I must say this has happened again, but it would not be credible to do a complete and utter somersault.” Mr Courtney said he had had to leave the Labour Party because he could not act independently in Parliament. ~ “I don’t believe I have changed at all. In fact, I believe the- party has changed,” he said, Other Labour members of Parliament would feel the same way, he said, but they had decided to work through the party structure.