National electorate ran up debts

Press, 9 August 1985, Page 25

National electorate ran up debts

PA Wellington National’s Wellington Central electorate organisation ran up debts of about $lO,OOO in the last election. The branch executive also sought ‘‘secret discussions” with the New Zealand Party, according to papers tabled in Parliament.

Ms Fran Wilde (Lab., Wellington Central), quoting from minutes of the electorate’s executive meeting on December 3 last year, said that the party was having trouble raising money. “We owe Wellington division about §9200 for campaign materials,” the minutes said. The total deficit on campaign expenses was about $lO,OOO. said Ms Wilde.

Mrs Rosemary YoungRouse — National's candidate in the election — had

told the meeting. “The National Party is still very unpopular, people won t donate now.” Ms Wilde said somebody had asked if Mrs YoungRouse thought that the party should reach an accommodation with the New Zealand Party. “Her reply was Yes, Ms Wilde said during a general debate. A National executive member had said. If we don’t find common ground with the New Zealand Party, neither of us will be Government. We need secret discussions.” Ms Wilde said, “They eyidently didn’t find those discussions very useful and now the New Zealand Party has deserted its former friends well and truly. She quoted the electorate

chairman’s saying the party’s policy needed much new work and another member saying: “Dominion HQ were not much help in the campaign. Until the leadership problem is settled we can’t achieve much in the electorate. It is a marketing problem.” Ms Wilde said, “Here again the same sort of criticism that we heard surfacing at their conference just recently. There it was immediately after the election and they haven’t been able to clean their act up because they don’t know what to do.”

The Acting Leader of the House, Mr Hunt, tabled the minutes. Time for general debate expired before any Opposition members could reply on the matter.