A test of two agendas

Press, 10 February 1988, Page 2

A test of two agendas

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington The three-day caucus meeting of the National Party to begin in New Plymouth today is a test of two agendas — those who want to talk issues and policies, and those who want to talk issues and tactics. Miss Ruth Richardson (Selwyn) is the leading advocate of the former group. She wants to help tear down the Labour Government but she also wants National to promote itself as a credible alternative Government by preparing policies that enable it to compete with Labour on equal terms.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, heads the latter group. He wants to tear down the Labour Government by attacking it at every point and exposing its weaknesses as they emerge. Policies are important to him too, but they are not allowed to get in the way of tactics. No member of the Opposition is better at attacking the Government than Mr Winston Peters (Tauranga), who is a firm Bolger supporter. His recent efforts in the Maori Affairs portfolio show his caucus colleagues what can be achieved by all-out attack.

Unfortunately for

National, it is not possible to concentrate on both agendas. One has to give way to the other. So tensions are building up on how the issues should be handled.

An example of this is the Government’s plan to have a flat tax and what National’s response should be.

The former Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Sir Robert Muldoon, is opposed to it. He is a supporter of Mr Bolger and a close ally of Mr Peters. Sir Robert wants a flat tax discussed only in the context of how National can damage Labour over it.

But Mr Simon Upton

(Raglan) wants a flat tax discussed so that National can decide whether it opposes the concept. He is a close ally of Miss Richardson. National’s caucus needs to decide if its three-day meeting is that of an Opposition or an alternative Government. The flat tax issue is symptomatic of National’s inability so far to decide what its game plan until the 1990 General Election will be.

Perhaps it is the very embarrassment of riches National enjoys with Labour’s continuing discomfiture that distract it from concentrating on deciding how to do its job and then doing it.