Another bid for leadership

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 1

Another bid for leadership

The deputy leader of the Democratic Party, Mr Neil Morrison, has become the latest party member to challenge the leadership of Mr Bruce Beetham.

Mr Morrison, who is also member of Parliament for Pakuranga, said yesterday he would seek the leadership at the party’s annual conference in Blenheim next month. When Mr Morrison took over the deputy leadership of the party from Mr Gary Knapp in April he denied having any aspirations for Mr Beetham’s position. Mr Morrison said yesterday he had changed his mind because the party had not been receiving adequate leadership from Mr Beetham. There was widespread dissatisfaction within the party with Mr

Beetham’s performance.

“I do not believe we can continue the way we have been at the polls in the last nine or 10 months. The party must start operating again the way it did in the late 19705,” he said.

It was important for the party’s leader to be a member of Parliament. Mr Morrison is the sixth contender for the party leadership. The others are Messrs Beetham, Terry Heffernan, the Wanganui candidate; Stuart Perry, the Waitorara candidate; Errol Baird, the Western Hutt candidate; and Bill Thompson, the party’s spokesman on agriculture. Messrs Perry and Heffernan were at the centre of a leadership row in March when they issued a joint statement attacking Mr Beetham.