National’s target

Press, 3 February 1984, Page 1

National’s target

Wellington

The National Party’s Dominion executive resolved yesterday to direct its 1984 election attack at the Labour Party, and not get “kicked off course” by the emerging force of the New Zealand Party. The president of the National Party, Mrs Sue Wood, said that the party led by Mr Bob Jones was a “very volatile and confused political movement” and it would be "nothing less than foolish” to base election strategy decisions on it.

“It is far too soon to predict what impact, if any, Jones will have,” she said, after the executive’s first

meeting of the election year.

“It is very important to keep the Jones party in perspective ... there is a tremendous amount of confusion surrounding the party, confusion relating to candidates, relating to leaders-leader, who is going to stand where.

“We are determined, as laid down by the executive, to fight our real opponents, the Labour Party,” Mrs Wood said.

The New Zealand Party would not be ignored — “of course we will keep watching it,” — but Labour was the only other party that could form a government, and the New Zealand Party was “not doing nearly as

well as Social Credit was at this time three years ago,” she said.

The polls indicated that the New Zealand Party was taking votes in equal proportions from National and Labour, and having a devastating effect on Social Credit. National’s executive was confident of winning six Labour seats — Wellington Central, Miramar, Kapiti, Tasman, Timaru, and Yaldhurst.

Mrs Wood said National aimed to have the selection of all its candidates completed by the end of April. The executive had resolved to go for a record membership this year, in excess of 200,000.