'Poor losers’ should leave —Mr Anderton

Press, 20 October 1983, Page 3

'Poor losers’ should leave —Mr Anderton

PA Auckland The president of the Labour Party, Mr J. P. Anderton, yesterday hinted that “poor losers” in the candidate stakes should consider leaving the party. His warning to the disgruntled came in the wake of the latest nomination wrangle, this time in the Tongariro seat. There, a former Taupo member of Parliament and unsuccessful contender, Mr J. W. Ridley, claimed that Mr Noel Scott’s selection was unconstitutional.

Mr Scott, aged 53, and an employment training coordinator at Waiariki Community College, Rotorua, won selection for the new seat at a meeting attended by about 300 people at Mangakino on Saturday. Mr Ridley said there was widespread concern about the “unconstitutional” selection of Mr Scott.

“Noel Scott was unacceptable to Rotorua in 1981, and

Tongariro made it abundantly clear in an overwhelming floor vote for me on Saturday that it did not want him,” he said. But Mr Anderton said in Auckland that the public was tired of a small number of disgruntled party members. He did not need to name them.

“I think it is leading people to believe that the Labour Party is concentrating on minor internal issues rather than the major problems, such as jobs, housing, education, and health services, all of which are in decline.”

Nominees signed a pledge to support the candidate, or they normally left the party, he said.

Mr Anderton said he had better things to do with his time than discipline Mr Ridley.

“One could ask why they do not complain about the system before the result,” he said.