‘Founder’ members split on party policies

Press, 24 August 1983, Page 3

‘Founder’ members split on party policies

Two Christchurch men who were listed as founder members of the New Zealand Party have released a statement saying they disagree with several of the party’s policies. The two brothers, Messrs Ivan and Don Wright, recently formed their own political party, the Progress Party, which is similar in philosophy to the New Zealand party.

When they launched the Progress Party in Christchurch last week, the brothers said they had spoken with Mr Bob Jones, the leading figure in the New Zealand Party, but had not joined the party. They said they would consider joining the party or merging their own party with it when they saw details of the New Zealand Party’s policies.

Yesterday, however, they

issued a statement saying that there were several areas in the policies of the New Zealand Party which would have to be changed before they could join forces with it.

Mr Ivan Wright said that some of the New Zealand Party policies would increase Government controls. This was the “exact opposite” of its opening catch-cry of “freedom, prosperity and less Goverenment interference in the private sector.” The brothers said they opposed proposals by the New Zealand Party, to abolish student bursaries, to abolish the unemployment benefit, to withdraw from A.N.Z.U.S., to increase the size of the police force, to protect local manufacturers form some overseas competitors, to remove the right of offenders to receive

social welfare benefits and for drinking drivers to autmatically lose their vehicles.

They said the points were “some of the points that we disagree with.” Others might come to light later.

They said the Progress Party would release its full policy statement after a meeting this Friday.

The Press Association reported from Tauranga yesterday that Mr Bob Jones was annoyed about a “misunderstanding” which led to well-known western Bay of Plenty residents being listed as founder members of the party.

Several businessmen and professional people on Monday denied being founder members. They were among 100 people who were named as founder members in the party manifesto.

Mr Jones yesterday described the situation as “quite extraordinary.” “I would be annoyed if this happened to me,” he said from Wellington. “I have every sympathy with these people’s complaints.” Mr Jones said that a Tauranga lawyer and member of the party’s steering committee, Mr W. F. Taylor, had sent a list to the party of about 50 Bay of Plenty people who had agreed to have their names mentioned in the manifesto as founder members.

“You should really go to Bill Taylor,” he said. “He was the one who sent the list down.”

Two National Party members, Messrs R. Acheson and N. Jensen, are among the Bay of Plenty businessmen who deny making any commitment to the party.