Electorate to discuss Mr Wellington’s future

Press, 2 November 1985, Page 3

Electorate to discuss Mr Wellington’s future

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington The future of Mr Merv Wellington as a member of the National Party is being discussed this week-end by his electoral committee in the South Auckland seat of Papakura. When he announced his intention to stand for Papakura as an Independent National candidate at the next General Election, Mr Wellington said he did not expect to stand down from National’s Parliamentary caucus or resign from the party. “I am a National Party person, and have been since I first stood for Papakura in 1975,” he said. “I do not know if my National supporters in Papakura would support me as an Independent National candidate; they have been marvellous in their support

for me over the years.” Mr Wellington said he had never thought that people he had worked with and for over the years would ask either himself, or Sir Robert Muldoon, to leave the caucus and the party. However, his electorate chairman, Mr Peter O’Brien, wants Mr Wellington to reconsider his decision to be an Independent National candidate.

“I will be doing everything possible to persuade Merv to step back from the political precipice he is on,” Mr O’Brien said.

If that failed, he said, “Papakura and the National Party will be the losers,” which does not bode well for Mr Wellington’s chances of staying on if he persists. Mr O’Brien said that even though Mr Wellington had strong local support, the party headquarters would insist on an official National

candidate for the election, and he would be very concerned if that happened. Party officials in Papakura would meet during the week-end to discuss the move with Mr Wellington. It was a pity Mr Wellington had found it necessary to step outside the party to further his support for Sir Robert Muldoon, he said. It was most unlikely that party backers would expel Mr Wellington because of his independent line, Mr O’Brien said, and there was no reason to expel him. The closest analogy in recent times within the National Party to the position in which Mr Wellington finds himself was that of Mr Gavin Downie, who represented the Auckland electorate of Pakuranga for National between 1972-78. f-’ ; In 1978, Mr Downie lost the National nomination for Pakuranga to Mr Pat Hunt,

who . represented it from 1978-84. What had been a safe National seat became increasingly marginal and was lost to Social Credit’s Mr Neil Morrison in 1984. Mr Downie was so disgusted at losing the nomination that he stood as an Independent National candidate in 1978. This involved him in leaving both the National caucus and the party, and he saw out his final months in Parliament during 1978 as an Independent. The political upheavals these events caused within Pakuranga are not yet over. It is understandable that Mr O’Brien should dread similar events in Papakura. The scenario is not quite the same; Mr Wellington is planning to become an Independent National .candidate rather > than doing so/ in ; reaction to his own Supersession; The outcome may be the same.