Conference pleases Socred leadership

Press, 28 August 1984, Page 4

Conference pleases Socred leadership

PA Wanganui Social Credit’s four-day conference in Wanganui produced “a fair bit” of critical analysis of the party and the snap election, said its leader, Mr Bruce Beetham, in his closing address on Sunday. “And that’s good,” he added. “Obviously, we were going to get it. By and large, it has been helpful — though perhaps we might have had more positive and constructive suggestions. “It has not been the most exciting conference we have ever had, but as far as I am concerned it has been a pretty good one.” Mr Beetham said that the party had been through what was essentially a

freak election. “Frankly, I do not think we need to worry or think about it too much from here on. I think the whole country will revert to a more normal political pattern. “I think the trend — the tide if you like — is going to move back to a more normal situation and will be flowing away from the Labour Party within six months, possibly sooner. “Some of it will be flowing back to National, some of it to us. That will represent an opportunity. We will have to catch that tide and make the most of it, turning as much as possible to our advantage.” Mr Ralph Moore, of Wanganui, who initiated the transfer of the 1984 confer-

ence from Auckland to Wanganui, said he was sure the move had “paid off.” The party’s president, Mr Stefan Lipa, said that after the election some within the party had wanted the conference put off. “I want to congratulate you all on the way you faced up to it and have conducted yourselves,” he said. “A wealth of material has come out of this conference. We have had a good look at ourselves.” Mr Lipa said that there had been a lot of frustrations but that it was probably the most difficult conference Social Credit had had to face in terms of proximity to the election.