Labour appeal for funds

Press, 2 May 1981, Page 6

Labour appeal for funds

PA Auckland The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) will appeal soon to every known Labour Party supporter for funds to help the party in its election drive. About 80.000 supporters will receive a personal, letter from Mr Rowling after the annual conference of the party ends in Wellington on May 14. Many of the 190,000 affiliate members of the party, such as those in trade unions, will also be asked for money. The party’s president, Mr J. P. Anderton, said he was confident that contributions from members and supporters would reach the target of $400,000. Mr Rowling would ask them to give as much, as their circumstances allowed. Mr Rowling’s letter would not ask for any percentage of party members’ salaries but would, give examples of how gifts could be used.;lt'would explain that $25 would pay for 1000 policy statements and that $5O would buy about 10 seconds of radio advertising time, i To’ iron • oiit any : possible problems in the fund-raising exercise party officials would hold a “test run" in two Auckland electorates during the next two weeks. Labour members of Parliament were setting an ex-

ample by pledging 1 per cent of their annual salary, about $240 each, to the campaign. The idea had come from Australia where Labour Party members of Parliament had given 4 per cent of their salaries to the party. The $400,000 New Zealand target would be achieved if every member gave $5. Some people had already given $lOOO donations. The party would need to raise $1 million for its national election campaign .and would probably raise much more than that. When money spent locally in electorates was included the amount raised this year would probably reach $1.5 'million. The party’s , camipaign target for business contribution was $200,000, of which about $40,000 had already been raised. Business contributions during the last two years had reached $lOO,OOO. Asked about the. party’s over-all financial situation, Mr Anderton said that soon after the 1978 General Election- the overdraft had been about $220,000, which had - been reduced by, about $120,000 in the following year. At December 31, 1980, the party’s overdraft ‘ with, the Vivian Street, Wellington, branch of the ’Batik? of New:

Zealand had been about 1220,000. To enable the party to use its overdraft facility without any problems party branches and electorate committees had been encouraged to centralise their accounts with the Wellington bank.. The pooling of resources from the various party organisations into the trading account helped to offset the overdraft interest payments. Mr Anderton said, “At any one time we have upwards of a quarter of a million dollars in that offsetting account.” Asked about a figure of $300,160 he had mentioned at the March meeting of the party’s council as being the February balance in the current account, he said that if the party had paid everything it owed on February 28 the total overdraft would have reached that figure. However the party had $513,848 in commitments owing to it and that would cover that overdraft. . Mr Anderton said, “We the party have been around for 65 years and the assets of the party are enormous. I could name- you. 20 electorates, which own valuable property.” Mr Anderton said that, other electorates had substantial funds in trust accounts and building funds. “We are. a good.:paying customer of the Bank of New

Zealand and any other supplier. They (the bank) are doing the same for us that they do for schools and local authorities and any other public body. The Labour Party, in a sense, is a public body.” Mr Anderton's report to the March meeting of the party’s council showed that, among the outstanding levies owed to the party were the 1977-1981 : levies from the four Maori seats totalling a little more than $42,000. Mr Anderton said that he and the party's general secretary, Mr J. F. Wybrow, had met the Maori members of Parliament and the latter were doing something about the situation. The party organisations in the Maori seats, had some difficulties because of the size of their electorates. He was confident that the Maori electorates would pay ail their levies owed although not necessarily immediately. . Party members did not see anything glamorous in having to raise $1.5 million out of their own pockets to keep the democratic system alive for the overwhelming majority of people who paid nothing . Mr Anderton said, “That is whv in the end I think there is a strong case for State funding of political activity.”