Nats doubt coalition’s nerve

Press, 13 January 1987, Page 1

Nats doubt coalition’s nerve

By

PETER LUKE

The Coalition of Concerned Citizens would not have the nerve to run an alternative candidate ■against the Deputy-Leader of the National Party, Mr Gair, says the chairman of the party's Auckland division, Dr Ross Armstrong. Mr Gair fell foul of the coalition, a moral majority group, when he voted for the Homosexual Law Reform Bill last year. The coalition’s national spokesman, Mr Barry Reed, sid yesterday that it would support an alternative candidate in Mr Gair’s North Shore electorate.

The alternative candidate, who would be chosen by a coalition electorate committee, would allow National supporters to vote for a candidate who shared their moral views, Mr Reed said.

Dr Armstrong said yes-

terday that he regarded this as an empty threat. “I am quite sure they do not have the spine to do it.”

The coalition’s assertions that it had penetrated 10 per cent of the National Party should not be taken seriously, he said. Whenever the coalition mentioned National Party activists who were members of the coalition, these people immediately denied the links.

The emergence of an alternative candidate would ruin any chance of an election-year liaison between the coalition and the National Party, said Dr Armstrong. The party’s rule book forbids any member from belonging to an organisation which opposes a National Party candidate. Dr Armstrong said that the promotion or selection of a rival candidate by party members was “just anathema.” If an alternative candidate did emerge in North Shore, the -

party’s national executive would have to seriously consider expelling coalition members who were also party members. Dr Armstrong agreed that such expulsions would be difficult because the coalition did not appear to have formal membership. . Mr Reed asked what harm coalition supporters within the party could do by standing up for morality and saying that Mr Gair was wrbng. Mr Gair was one of; three National members of Parliament who supported the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. Mr Reed would hot say whether the two other members would be challenged. “We can handle only one skirmish at a time,” he said. Two National Party candidates in Christchurch have received the support of the coalition, but both have denied links

with the group. The National Party's candidatein Yaldhurst, Mr James Bacon, said that about two years ago he had edited a book on ■. .“’Jhe Social .Effects 4>f Homosexuality” which was published by the coalition. This contact had arisen because the coalition had been looking for a writer. Since then his only association with the coalition had been that he was a conservative on moral '; issues.-'- ; - ' . This 1 would be known to the coalition and was probably the reason that the coalition supported him, he said. The party’s candidate in Avon, Mr Warren Smith, said he supported any group, including the coalition, which "spoke up for the concerns of the family or the lowering of moral standards.” ✓. ■ He had no formal ties with the coalition, however. he said.