Forecasts Party given election task

Press, 9 May 1983, Page 1

Forecasts

Party given election task

PA New Plymouth The National Party needs to build a strong economy to be certain of winning next year’s General Election, according to the party president, Mrs Sue Wood.

She told National’s Wellington divisional conference yesterday that the party’s key principle must be to build a strong economy to provide for the people. The battle ahead was on two fronts and it was important to win back key seats such as Kapiti, Wellington Central and Miramar, Mrs Wood said. The conference also heard from the chairman and chief executive of Crown Consolidated, Ltd, Mr Rod Weir, who said National had been “touching rock bottom” and needed a firmer industrial policy. He said it was not enough to hope that Labour leaders would' talk themselves out of victory.

“National must have a firmer industrial policy. We cannot afford the Bank of New Zealand and Mangere bridge fiascos, the incredibly inflated Huntly power station contract, the Marsden Point and Tasman shambles.

“You must get a new look for National. You must find out what the electorate really wants of a government. You must go back — perhaps go forward would be better — to a liberal, right-of-centre, free-enter-prise party.

“For the businessman and, I believe, in the interests of the people, National should abolish every possible control. “I believe we have been touching rock bottom of late, but I also believe we shall start to climb out of our problems later this year or early next year,” Mr Weir said. Further reports, P. 8