‘The Jones phenomenon’

Press, 6 July 1984, Page 7

‘The Jones phenomenon’

PA DunedinLarge audiences attracted by the leader of the New Zealand Party would not transpire into votes on election day, said Social Credit’s leader, Mr Beetham, in Dunedin yesterday. Mr Beetham put the large turn-outs down to “the Jones phenomenon” and “not necessarily” votes for the New Zealand Party. While Mr Bob Jones has been attracting sizeable

crowds to campaign meetings, Mr Beetham’s audiences have been decidedly smaller. A little more than 100 people listened to Mr Beetham’s address in Alexandra earlier this week, but on the same evening in Gore, Mr Jones expounded policy to an estimated 1200. “He (Mr Jones) may be getting the audiences, but the polls indicate his party’s support is going down,” Mr Beetham said yesterday.

He predicted that Mr Jones will be placed third when the votes are counted in the Ohariu electorate. Mr Beetham also forecast some “maverick” election results, including “several going Social Credit’s way.” He -said that he would hold the Rangitikei seat with a majority of up to 1300 votes, the deputy leader of the party, Mr S Knapp, would hold Coast Bays “comfortably," and he regarded

Otago as “very winnable” for Social Credit. “There have been a lot of wildcat cards dealt in this election ... and I can say that there will be a lot of editors’ and political scientists’ reputations crushed by what actually happens,” Mr Beetham said. No matter how many seats Social Credit wins, Mr Beetham hopes for a “more consensus Parliament than we have had previously.”