Coalition to hit Labour on moral grounds

Press, 9 January 1987, Page 1

Coalition to hit Labour on moral grounds

By

PETER LUKE

Christchurch’s seven Labour members of Parliament have been targeted for opposition by the avowedly apolitical Coalition of Concerned Citizens.

All seven members supported the Homosexual Law Reform Bill last year. As such they will be among the members whom the coalition will attempt to oust by mobilising the 835,000 people who last year: signed a petition opposing! the bill. The coalition’s national executive chairman, Mr' Joe Simmons, of Christchurch, yesterday repeated assurances that the coalition was apolitical — that it would support candidates according to their moral beliefs, not their political party.

For this reason a small number of National members of Parliament would not be supported, but Mr Simmons has made it clear that the Labour Party will bear the brunt of the coalition attack. In the December issue of the “Coalition Courier,” Mr Simmons warned readers “of the damage of returning Labour for another term.”

“They have already opened the sluice gates for moral pollution. Another term could well see the sluice gates totally removed and the nation wallowing in the mire of permissiveness.” He said yesterday that it would be difficult for any Labour Party candidate to receive

support. With a few exceptions, such as the member for Southern Maori, Mrs Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan, sitting Labour members had supported the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, and would therefore be opposed. An absence of party democracy y within the Labour Party meant that candidates for selection who had coalition support would not be successful, he said. The coalition would not waste its energy by forming a new political party or running independent candidates. The realistic way for its supporters to stand was under the National banner, or perhaps as Democratic Party candidates, he said.

Mr Simmons was reluctant to reveal details of the coalition’s support in Christchurch electorates or within National Party branches. It was a “principle of war not to reveal the size of your forces,” he said.

He did say, however, that the coalition had support within the Lyttelton, Christchurch North, Avon, St Albans and Yaldhurst electorates.

In all five seats, the Labour Party has comfortable or secure majorities, although the National Parity has hopes of taking Yaldhurst and Lyttelton in!

this year’s election. The coalition is believed to be strongest in the National Party’s Avon electorate organisation, where Mr Warren Smith was the sole nominee for candidate selection. Mr Simmons said the coalition would have little difficulty supporting Mr Smith, or the party’s candidate in Yaldhurst, Mr James Bacon. The secretary of the Canterbury-Westland division of the National Party, Mr Graham Johnstone, rejected suggestions that the party had been “penetrated” by the coalition or other “moral majority” OTAIinC

The secretary of the Canterbury-Westland division of the National Party, Mr Graham Johnstone, rejected suggestions that the party had been “penetrated” by the coalition or other “moral majority” groups. He had noticed members of such groups joining the party, but suggested that their influence was not great in the Can-terbury-Westland division which had more than 30,000 members.

Moral majority views had not been an issue in the Yaldhurst selection and he was confident they would not cause problems in future selections, he said.

The coalition, a “moral majority” group, was formed in late 1984. Last year it set up an office in central Christchurch where it shares space with the Integrity Centre, the Temperance Alliance and the Society for the Protection of Community Standards.