Accommodation with National not on—Mr Jones

Press, 6 November 1984, Page 7

Accommodation with National not on—Mr Jones

PA Ashburton Replacing Sir Robert Muldoon would not encourage the New Zealand Party to merge with the National Party, said its leader, Mr Bob Jones, at Ashburton yesterday. Leadership was not an issue between the two parties, said Mr Jones. “We’re not anti-Muldoon;

we never have been. He’s the only person I have respect for. “We’re anti-Muldoonism and everyone in their party is guilty of that,” he said. There was no question of the parties accomodatingeach other to gain support, he said. “We’re poles apart politically. Goodness, most of them still believe the

! Russians are coming.” > Members of the National Party seemed to believe i that as soon as they found a - new leader everything would be altered, but it ■ would not, Mr Jones said. ;• National lacked principles , and consistent policy. “Most of them are tired and not interested in policy anyway. They’re more in- « terested in getting jobs for

themselves,” he said. Mr Jones said the New Zealand Party was busy planning its strategy for the next election. “We destroyed the Government this year and we’ll destroy the National Party at the next election.” The New Zealand Party was confident it would see National lose 15 to 18 seats in 1987, he said.