Party supporters ‘dissatisfied’

Press, 13 March 1985, Page 3

Party supporters ‘dissatisfied’

Disillusioned National Party supporters have been joining the New Zealand Party in increased numbers in recent weeks, according to the New Zealand Party president, Mr Malcolm McDonald.

He estimated that the New Zealand Party had gained about 400 new members within the last two months, mostly former National supporters. He said they showed dissatisfaction with the National Party organisation and, to a lesser extent, with its political wing. They had also said that discontent with the party was manifesting itself in a splinter group. Many National supporters had been willing to give the party’s new leadership a chance, but now felt that the new leader, Mr McLay, had not performed as expected and that the organisational base of the party was weak. Mr McDonald said that

the president, Mrs Sue Wood, had stood the test at the last election and failed. He challenged her to a public debate on the effectiveness of the National Party and New Zealand Party organisations. However, the secretary of the Canterbury-Westland division of the National Party, Mr Graham Johnstone, denied that many National members had been leaving to join the New Zealand Party. One or two had been concerned about the party leadership, but the Canter-bury-Westland division had had only 40 resignations this year. He had no idea how many of those were connected with the leadership of the party. He. said there were always some resignations at this time of year as subscription notices were being sent out. The resignations amounted to only a fraction of a per cent of the party’s membership.