Challenge to Mr Lange

Press, 10 November 1983, Page 18

Challenge to Mr Lange

PA Auckland The New Zealand Party has fired its first shot in the heart of Labour Party territory, the Mangere seat of the leader, Mr Lange. Two members of the new party have called a meeting for November 13 to form an electorate committee, with the aim of toppling Mr Lange from the Labour stronghold. A fencing contractor, Mr Douglas Kinnon, said, “If we did not aim to win the seat, we would not have even bothered.”

As daunting as Mr Lange’s 5806 majority might look, Mr Kinnon, a former National Party supporter, believes an upset is possible. “I went canvassing on Sunday and though I did not go to any of the grotty houses, I found plenty of

people interested in us,” he”.' said. ;- Mr Kinnon said his'.', party’s computer showed - there were already 18 paid-; '; up members in Mangere,' but he and Mr David Craven, a school teacher,-”, 1 were doing most of the’; work to set up a Mangere’; organisation. He said he had supported'; National in the past while-’ Mr Craven had “leaned” toward Labour. • At the party’s Auckland ' launching last month, organ- ■ isers said their main targets- ’ were National-held seats such as Pakuranga and Remuera, and the Social Credit-held East Coast Bays. But Mr Kinnon said policies such as $lO,OOO tax-free income could appeal to lower-paid workers in Mangere.