‘Numbers not important'

Press, 25 November 1981, Page 14

‘Numbers not important'

The Citizens Democratic Party was not concerned with the number of its members, but with their quality, said the party’s candidate for Yaldhurst (Mr G. H. Bucknail). “We do not want to play the numbers game,” Mr Bucknall said at a public meeting attended by a reporter, but nobody else. “We think the important thing is the number of votes you get.” , , . The Citizens Democratic Party would, nbt disclose how many members it had for that reason,, said Mr Bucknall, who is the. founder, leader, and secretary of the •party and its only candidate. If it became the Government “sometime in the distant future” the party would solve New Zealand’s economic problems by controlling and reducing selected consumer imports. Products not imported would be manufactured locally, helping increase selfreliance.

Another plank in the ■ party’s, platform was. to turn Government departments into corporations or . companies^Mr Bucknall said. Shares would be issued free to citizens, and dividends would'be paid when trading became profitable. “What it is doing is simply acknowledging the public ownership of these departments,” he said. “I am sure I . would be. more interested in travelling on ..the Railways if 1 were»a shareholder.” • The Citizens Democratic Party had a manifesto which, any interested voter could buy and read. It saw personal contact as the most essential way of achieving its aims, and would not advertisers much as the other parties, Mr Bucknall said. If interviewed by pollsters, party supporters were encouraged to state their allegiance as “undecided.” Mr Bucknall believed this reinforced in the voter’s mind that he was free to vote as he chose.