Bolger appeal for ‘liberals’

Press, 6 November 1984, Page 3

Bolger appeal for ‘liberals’

By

MICHAEL HANNAH

in Wellington An appeal to liberals to return to the National Party and to help it plan for the 1990 s and beyond was issued last evening by the member of Parliament for the King Country, Mr Jim Bolger. Mr Bolger told the Auckland division of the National Party that it must “build the bridges” — a phrase long associated with the former National Prime Minister, Sir John Marshall — to form the coalition of iterests that had traditionally underpinned the party. “We must attract-the liberals and conservatives to our team,” he said. Mr Bolger was carrying his campaign for the party leadership to Auckland, the home town of the leader, Sir Robert Muldoon, and the other three contenders for the leadership, Messrs Jim McLay, George Gair and

Bill Birch. For the first time, he acknowledged Sir Robert as a candidate in the contest, which is due to be voted on next February, although there is pressure in the party to bring the vote forward to before Christmas, Conceding that party branches had gone into recess until the question of leadership had been resolved, Mr Bolger observed that there were now five contenders for the job. “I Sin including Sir Robert Muldoon,” he said. Canvassing his thoughts on issues such as education, working hours, leisure, racial tension, and nuclear arms, Mr Bolger aimed some criticism at the party organisation for failing to explore developing issues. It was in this context that he made a direct appeal to “the liberal middle class” to return to the party. &

“Many within the National Party have the necessary breadth of vision and intellectual drive to contribute to this policy development,” he said. “We must not shirk, however, from inviting others from outside the party to contribute as appropriate “As a political organisation, we lack a formalised intellectual think tank which can explore developing concepts and suggest political responses to them. “That situation cannot be allowed to continue if we are to remain relevant in a fast moving world.” He suggested the party should restate not only its economic philosophy but also its "liberal inheritance.” “We need the support of the liberal middle class not only in terms of votes, but also in terms of the intellectual input into philosophy and policy,” he said. At the same time, he

advised the party to be prepared to “compromise on details but not on principles.” Referring to concern about nuclear arms stockpiles, he criticised the Government’s approach as “a policy of isolation,” and proposed the National Party should promote its opposition to nuclear arms by being “more active in the real world” and to work with like-minded countries. Mr Bolger said Sir Robert would be offered a Cabinet post in a Government led by him, reports PA; However, other party leadership contenders felt differently. Mr Bolger said Sir Robert would have “a very responsible role to play” in a Bolger Cabinet, though he could not specify exactly what post he would be given. But two of the other candidates for the party leadership said they did not

believe Sir Robert would stand again for Parliament if he lost the leadership in the caucus election due by February. The former Minister of Energy, Mr Birch, said this made the question "academic." “If he was there and he was available, he would certainly have a lot to offer,” Mr Birch said. “He would be a frontrunner. But I would be surprised if, having stood down from the leadership, he continued to make a career in Parliament.” The former Minister of Transport, Mr Gair, also said it was “most unlikely” that Sir Robert would stay in Parliament after the next election if he was no longer leader. “If he were there, and if he wanted to work in a Cabinet of which I was Prime Minister, I would be happy to harness his services,” Mr Gair said. F