Mr Leay resigns after 13 years

Press, 19 June 1986, Page 1

Mr Leay resigns after 13 years

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

The executive director of the National Party, Mr Barrie Leay, has resigned and so signalled the final triumph of, opponents of the ' party’s : over the last 18 months. - -Mr. Leay is the third of three figures attacked by the former Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, and the Sunday Club ginger group led by Mr Bert Walker, of Christchurch.

The party’s leader, Mr Jim McLay, was toppled in a coup in late March in favour of his deputy, Mr Jim Bolger. The party’s president, Mrs Sue Wood, had already announced she would not seek re-election at the party’s annual conference in Auckland early in August, so clearing the way for the three-way fight for the presidency now in full swing. Mr Leay, aged 49, has been the party’s chief executive since 1973 — the year after National’s landslide defeat in the 1972 General Election.

With the party’s new

president, Mr George Chapman, and later with a new leader, Mr Rob Muldoon, Mr Leay played a key role in National’s sweeping return to power in 1975. ■j In. ( a „ < whimsical. but barbed ? tW-pbge'' ■' state?: ment of resignation to a meeting of National’s executive committee yesterday, Mr Leay set out his intentions. His announcement will enable National’s new president after the annual meeting to look for a new chief executive, who could be appointed in late 1986 or early 1987. Mr Leay said he would stay on after his replacement to fulfil his appointment as Opposition representative on the Boundaries Commission, sorting out new electorate boundaries as a result of 1985 census figures. In this role he represents the Democratic Party, Mana Motuhake, the Values Party and remnants of the New Zealand Party, as well as the National Party. Mr Leay’s president for the last four years and business associate, Mrs

Sue Wood, said the job would be very difficult to fill as it was a key strategic and analytical post in the National Party. Mr Bolger said Mr Leay had made a long and valuable contribution, and the would' miss. his skills.

Mr Leay had become an increasingly lonely focus of attack from members of Parliament and people in the party’s organisation. Both these groups of opponents blamed him for allowing National to be out-organised by Labour in the 1984 snap General Election, and for being too close to Mr Jim McLay and Mrs Sue Wood.

As the paid servant of the National Party, Mr Leay was never able to reply in public to the public attacks made on him.

Once Mrs Wood had announced her retirement and Mr McLay had been superseded as Leader, his position changed from being unpleasant to being untenable.

Mr Leay said he felt it was time to change his

role in the party, after being appointed for five years and then spending 13 years in the job. Sir Robert Muldoon said he was not sorry to see Mr Leay go, and that he would . not ,be attending the wake. The vitriol that has been poured over Mr Leay during the last 18 months prompted him to add a few barbs in his resignation. He chose to express them in cricketing terms.

“I feel rather like the opening batsman who has carried his bat through a long and eventful innings, having faced a good number of new balls, fast bowlers and the odd bouncer,” he said. “So it is time for me to declare my innings. I shall enjoy enormously in due course having my turn with the new ball and perhaps bowling a few wicked bouncers myself.

“It has at times been a little difficult, under some provocation in public, to stay silent in public.”