Party president ‘mistaken’

Press, 9 October 1987, Page 7

Party president ‘mistaken’

The National Party president, Mr Neville Young was encouraging a divisive spirit within the party, said the secretarymanager of the Christ-church-based Sunday Club, Mrs Valerie Miller, yesterday. Mr Young’s criticism of the club during the recent National Party conference was “arrogant and mistaken," Mrs Miller said. It had left club members “unmoved.” “Instead of being antagonistic towards the club, why doesn’t he accept that he needs its support along with other groups who want to see the end of the Labour Government. Surely he wants National to be the Government in 1990?” Members believed that Mr Young was attempting

to use the Sunday Club as a scapegoat for the party’s second consecutive election loss. “They used Sir Robert Muldoon for the same purpose in 1985,” said Mrs Millar. “The club has the membership, success, business acumen, loyalty and sound financial base — all of which Mr Young needs in the National Party before he will win an election.” The club had never claimed to speak for the National Party organisation and had always supported the National Party leader, Mr Bolger, and the parliamentary team. “If Mr Young wishes to reject the club’s active support, that is his prerogative. But it is no good blaming the club if he keeps on losing elections.”