Mr Rowling sits firmly at head

Press, 14 May 1982, Page 1

Mr Rowling sits firmly at head

By

BRIAR WHITEHEAD,

Wellington reporter

The Labour Party conference ended yesterday after four days with two things settled — the union affiliation issue and Mr Rowling’s leadership. Both had been tipped to be the most significant conference issues, the leadership issue hinging on the affiliation question. It was held in some quarters that Mr Rowling had badly approached the need for reform of trade union links with the Labour Party, and that the rejection of his initiative by the conference would show he was out of touch with his party roots, and open to challenge as leader. But the conference laid both matters to rest. It's warmth towards Mr Rowling was . unmistakeable, even after the party’s third consecutive election defeat, and it was conceded that the affiliation link needed improvements — something of a compromise between the present system and Mr Rowling’s plans to replace it with a better linkage. It was the defeat only of an idea, and it never came anywhere near a rejection of his leadership. The conference was left in no doubt that the proposal sprang from the single desire to strengthen workers’ commitment to the Labour Party. Even the militant wing of the trade union movement, which felt strongly that Mr Rowling had launched his plan with no reference to it, and was trying to put distance between the party and unions, was placated.

If the militants had planned to stir up against Mr Rowling, they do not now. Mr Rowling still firmly believes that the affiliation system, '..linking as it does, whole unions into the party, does not get the deliberate individual vote of the working person, and that it should be replaced by individual membership. But he is satisfied at least that his challenge galvanised

the party into some, serious thinking about better links, and the conference into adopting a clear programme for action, which might only prove to be the seeds of change.

The warmth towards Mr Rowling that was so clear at the conference is less comprised of fervent support for him as leader than it is of immense good will for him as a person. But it keeps him in office because there is no point in changing a man, the subject of great personal good will, when there is no challenger and no issue to challenge upon. This does not mean that there are no ambitions and jealousies within the Labour Party caucus. There are, but no one person has more support than Mr Rowling. The issue upon which such a challenge might have been mounted dissolved at the conference. There remains another. Mr Rowling bears the stigma of being a three-time loser. Some say that the party will not let him lead in 1984 to fail again. But against that is the fact that he has led the party from a resounding defeat in 1975 to a virtual tie in the House, and more voting support at the polls in the last two elections than the National Party received. A group of about 1500 enthusiasts strongly and actively support Mr Rowling, and are a threat to any move to replace him. They mould the opinion of the rest of the party's 100,000 members.

One of the enthusiasts is Mr J. P. Anderton, the party’s president, and he holds powerful sway over members. His huge re-elec-tion majority (1120 to 126) proved that. His motives for supporting Mr Rowling have been said to range from his determination to keep the present Deputy -Leader (Mr Lange) out of the driver’s seat (because of his own ambitions

for Parliamentary office in the same electorate) to a completely altruistic belief that the party would suffer if Mr Rowling’ went, and that no-one else is yet competent to fill his shoes. There is a consensus both within the caucus and outside it, that there is no-one else competent to take office. Mr Lange is believed to have a less than 50 per cent chance if a vote was taken now or soon in caucus. Mr C. R. Marshall, the spokesman for education, is a quiet contender held in high regard by the party membership, but the member of Lyttelton (Mrs Ann Hercus) popularly promoted, and the member for St Albans (Mr D. F. Caygill) widely accepted as a future leader, are on their own assessments too inexperienced, and in Mr Caygill’s case, at the age of 34, too young. It is generally conceded within the caucus that there will be no challenge to Mr Rowling either before, or at the constitutional and traditional leadership review’ early next year. They say that the decision to step down is his entirely.

The indications are that Mr Rowling does not see it is in the party’s interests that he go in February (the probable time of the leadership review). He listens carefully to the voice of the party’s rank and file, and they are solidly behind him — either because the believe in him. or because they believe Mr Anderton. He knows that the union movement supports him. He also knows that the Labour Party is at its largest and most effective (in the House and outside) than it had been for years. He knows that his wife and family support him all the way, and he wants to be Prime Minister of New Zealand for more than 12 months.

Further reports, P 3

Mr Rowling will not step down before February next year, and the likelihood of his doing so then is more than remote.

Delegates left the conference in good heart, but their disappointment at the 1981 loss showed.

They are going to fight harder to win 'in 1984 than they did in 1981 and they will concentrate harder on fewer issues — jobs, and housing, education and health, and balanced development of New Zealand’s resources — and they will cost their policies very carefully.

One issue crystalised clearly for the party at the conference. A nuclear-free zone, and no . nuclearweapons carrying vessels will be permitted in New Zealand waters under a Labour Government.