Sunday Club embarrassing to the National Party

Press, 23 March 1985, Page 20

Sunday Club embarrassing to the National Party

By

OLIVER RIDDELL,

in Wellington

Publicity for the Sunday Club has come at a bad time for the National Opposition in Parliament and the National Party organisation.

The next two weeks are important in National’s preparation for the next General Election, for two reasons.

First, in Parliament, National is trying to entrench its new leader, Mr McLay, before the House rises at Easter for a recess likely to last about two months.

Second, the party organisation has completed a review of its activities and performance. Copies of the review were posted to members of the party’s Dominion Council this week for them to consider before a Council meeting on April 9. Just when National had thought it might emerge with a revitalised leadership and organisation, and so be able to turn its back on past leadership and organisational wrangles, the Sunday Club has emerged annd a messy public quarrel has begin. The impact of this on National’s election chances

in 1987 could be profound. Mr McLay has not had a comfortable three months as leader. He is being criticised by some of his Parliamentary colleagues for concentrating on issues such as A.N.Z.U.S., nuclear weapons, and whether or not the Minister of agriculture, Mr Moyle, leaked news of the exchange float. They want him to concentrate more on issues such as national superannuation, inflation, housing costs and rentals, and food prices. The impetus to redirect Mr McLay has been lost in the need for National Party solidarity against the Sunday Club. In addition, many National members do not wish to be reminded of the existence of Sir Robert Muldoon. He is still in Parliament, but most of his colleagues treat him as a political leper.

Sir Robert’s conduct since he was deposed as National’s leader has been pretty unexceptional; but he is still an embarrassment to those who now ostracise the man Who claimed their devotion for so

many years. Support of Sir Robert by the Sunday Club raises too many ghosts for National’s comfort.

The National Party organisation, too, is being distracted by the Sunday Club. Criticism by the Sunday Club, and the need to counter it, is making calm, deliberate changes and improvements very difficult.

Attack from the Sunday Club and from Sir Robert makes the president of the national Party, Mrs Sue Wood, and its general director, Mr Barry Leay, safer. The review report now being considered does not name scapegoats for the 1984 election defeat, nor does it, seek the removal or resignation of Mr Leay or Mrs Wood.

The defensive mood now abroad in the National party will make sweeping changes harder to accomplish, yet now is the last opportunity for national to make big changes before the build-up to the next General Election.

Some party members doubt that sweeping changes would have been made anyway. They have believed for more than three months now that the report of the review committee would be a whitewash.

The attack by the Sunday Club is being used already as an excuse not to embark on radical reform. Perhaps radical reform was unlikely anyway; now it is even less likely and an excuse has been provided, ready-made.