Retirement not forced

Press, 18 February 1983, Page 2

Retirement not forced

PA Auckland No member of Parliament would be asked to retire before the next General Election, said the , Prime Minister. Mr Muldoon, in Auckland yesterday before leaving for the Marsden Point oil refinery. “There is no way we would influence any member to stand down,” he said. “Selection of candidates is a matter for each electorate, and so the party hierarchy does not interfere.”

“The question of retirement is entirely a matter for the electorate concerned and for the member himself.” Mr Muldoon was commenting on the warning given by the party's presi-

dept. Mrs Sue Wood, on Wednesday that National needed rejuvenation if it was to stay in power.

She’ predicted the retirement of several older members of Parliament but declined to name them, although the Deputy Prime Minister. Mr Maclntyre, aged 67. the Minister of Defence. Mr Thomson, aged 67. and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Highet, aged 69. are known to be the most likely. “Peter. Wilkinson is the only one I know of who is retiring." Mr Muldoon said. “He is the only one who has indicated retirement to me.

“I would expect that any member considering retire-

ment would not make a decision until the final boundaries are promulgated in-a month or so.

“The party and caucus are in good shape - the change in Labour's leadership has given us a shot in the arm.

"The new leadership has not made any sort of impact. An unbiased observer would say Lange has been a bit of a disappointment. His public statements have been so waffly — he hasn’t started off very well." Mr Muldoon said he was confident of winning the next election with his existing members of Parliament.

“Against the opposition we have, we would win an election with the team we have,”

he said. "With the new leadership, the provisional boundaries; and the split in the Labour caucus, we would win: and. although I was wrong last time, we would take both Social Credit seats."

Mr Muldoon said he and Mrs Wood had discussed the "pattern of events" leading up to the election. "There is a need this year to get the party organisation at electorate level in gear. We need strong organisation, so that next year we can get into an election-year round of activity. “We are in good shape, but in a certain number of electorates the organisation is not as tidy as we would wish,” he said.