Socred expected to debate name change

Press, 21 August 1984, Page 2

Socred expected to debate name change

PA Wanganui Pressure for a name change is expected to generate lively debate during the New Zealand Social Credit Party’s conference at Wanganui this week.' The new member of Parliament for Pakuranga, Mr Neil Morrison, and the member for East Coast Bays, Mr Garry Knapp, want a switch to the name New Zealand Democratic Party, reported the “Wanganui Herald” yesterday. A party conference rejected the name two years ago but Social Credit’s leader, Mr Beetham, who lost his Rangitikei seat at last month’s General Election, said that he had detected a shift of opinion within the party since 1982,

the “Herald” said, The party’s Dominion executive will meet briefly tomorrow and there will be a low-key social. gathering in the evening. The conference wil| open on Thursday after a champagne breakfast and will move into the [resident’s address > and a ong assessment — partly in committee — of the annual report. Friday’s agenda includes [>olicy workshops, the eader’s address, and a “Towards 1987” item. A candidates’ meeting and sessions of the Dominion council and youth section are set down for Friday afternoon, with the president’s dinner that evening. The deputy leader’s ad-

dress on Saturday will be followed by the election of officers and debate on remits. Further remits and a discussion paper will be presented before the conference, ends on Sunday. Though Social Credit’s faithful would not say so publicly, the party’s image was not bright and vigorous these days, the “Herald” said. The party still had two representatives in Parliament, but the stalwart Mr Beetham was on the sideline, and the party’s national vote fell to about 8 per cent in the last Election. Some observers believed that the Wanganui conference would be a crossroads for the party, the “Herald” said.