National Party leadership

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 16

National Party leadership

Sir, — Attacking Sir Robert Muldoon for National’s defeat is unwarranted and grossly unfair. National has lost only three electrons in 35 years and should accept it with good grace. Sir Robert has led the party to three election wins in a row and after the last nine difficult years the odds were stacked against us. Comments by a junior M.P., Ruth Richardson, in sticking her neck out might well prompt her electorate to chop it off when candidate selection comes up in 1987. Julian Watts may also be wanting a little cheap publicity in his spate of criticisms. If so much is wrong in the party a close look at Dominion councillors might also be appropriate. — Yours, etc., J. F. GARVEY. Westport, July 23.1984. Sir, — Managing directors retire with grace and dignity, thanking those who put them into position. Their years at the top depend on their own and their teams’ ability. When one becomes an autocrat and his team yes-men, even governments fall. Sir Robert Muldoon has at times of political expediency derided Labour’s as against National’s democratic process of election of office holders. The politicians are only the handful given the opportunity of power by a huge groundwork of workers whose branches democratically elect all officers up to Dominion councillors, and these are the real National Party; not the vacillating politicians. A huge groundswell of Nationalists voted for Bob Jones and said to Sir Robert “get out.” He now stoops to reprimand loyalists who fought for him. He endangers National’s whole future. Sue Wood, who speaks for the grassroots, must tell him to go now, and now is the operative word. — Yours, etc., GRAY HENDERSON. Darfield, July 23, 1984.