Sunday Club platform for ‘Rob’s mob’?

Press, 13 March 1985, Page 1

Sunday Club platform for ‘Rob’s mob’?

Wellington reporter

Indications are that the Sunday Club — a group of National Party supporters critical of the party’s organisation and leadership — may be a platform for “Rob’s mob.”

Sir Robert Muldoon said yesterday he had been “vaguely aware” of the movement but had not known it had any formal framework. He also said most of the members would likely have remained loyal to him in the months preceding and since the General Election. Sir Robert does not lead the group but is in broad agreement with its stated aims and its criticisms of the party. These were outlined by the group’s publicity officer, Mr Alex Hoggan, on Monday and reported in “The Press” yesterday. Mr Hoggan said a network of groups calling themselves the Sunday Club had been formed in Christ-

church, New Plymouth, Napier, Hamilton, and Wellington in the last few weeks and that more were being set up. He said they had been formed out of dissatisfaction with the party president, Mrs Sue Wood, the director-general, Mr Barry Leay, and the Dominion council. He said Mr McLay’s performance as Leader of the Opposition had been disappointing. Sir Robert said the discontent was directed mainly against the organisational wing and that he received every day letters from members thinking of resigning. The activities of some of those in senior positions had

caused concern, particularly Mr Leay, but also Mrs Wood, whose closeness to Mr Leay had raised suggestions that she might be “excessively influenced by his views,” Sir Robert said. “In that respect, I have to say I agree with it," he said. Sir Robert also hinted that Mr McLay was not performing as well as he might. He said he had been aware last week of some activity in one of the divisions from people who had been perfectly happy with the leadership change but who were “less happy now.” “The criticism is very much of the administrative side but there is some concern obviously that we are not doing as well as we could in the House,” he said. Sir Robert was not surprised that he had polled ahead of Mr McLay as preferred leader in the latest public opinion poll. “I am much better known,” he said. Of Mr McLay, he said, “He has just got to get out

there and do it. The ball is in his court now and he is very much on his own in that respect." Mr McLay dismissed Mr Hoggan's statement as the talk of one person. “I am a bit surprised it has even had the publicity it has,” he said. “I have never heard of the man before. I understand he was a member of a branch committee and resigned some time last year.” He said Mr Hoggan was entitled to express his views but that he set them against “the dozens of letters” he had received from National Party branches supporting his leadership and Ids handling of the A.N.Z.U.S. issue. Mr McLay said the fact that National trailed the Government by only 2 percentage points in the last poll and his personal approval rating was 46 per cent indicated that he was coping with the job satisfactorily.

Mr McLay also disputed Mr Hoggan’s claim that the movement extended beyond Christchurch. He said he had made inquiries that morning of the other centres named and that no other group had been identified.

This was backed up by the member of Parliament for New Plymouth, Mr Tony Friedlander. His constituency was listed by Mr Hoggan but he said that yesterday’s report was the first he had heard of the Sunday Club.

Mr Jim Gerard (Nat., Rangiora) said the report had taken him by surprise.

“It seems that this group does not recognise the need for change or opposed it and wants to put the clock back,” he said. “I believe they would be built round support for Sir Robert’s style of leadership.” Miss Ruth Richardson was equally critical and for the same reasons. She said the group seemed determined to return National to an era on which both the party and the public had decisively turned their backs. “It is difficult to detect their motivation but if they choose to be destructive then we in the National Party part company,” she said.

“Is this a return to personality cult politics? The group seems to be showing an unwelcome preoccupa-

tion with personality rather than philosophy. “What the National Party has to do now is develop policies consistent with its philosophies and not to develop splinter movements,” she said.

Mrs Wood said she knew nothing about the group, that she had not been aware of its existence, and that she did not know Mr Hoggan. Mr Hoggan had expressed doubts about Mrs Wood’s competence, saying that the group believed National needed an experienced business person as president. They felt Mrs Wood lacked experience and that she had overstepped her authority last year by making it clear in party circles that she wanted a change of leader, he said.

In reply to the criticisms, Mrs Wood said the party would have the opportunity to judge her performance when she stood for re-elec-tion next year. In reply to the criticisms of the party structure, she said the organisation had undertaken an extensive review of itself to which thousands of members had made constructive contributions.

The need for change and greater efficiency had been acknowledged and was being addressed, Mrs Wood said.

Of Mr McLay, she said he had the “total support” of the Opposition caucus and that his position was “very strong” in the party at large. Mr Leay could not be reached for comment yesterday.