M.P.’s ultimatum may end career

Press, 17 December 1988, Page 1

M.P.’s ultimatum may end career

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

Mr Jim Anderton will not stand for Parliament in the next election if his dismissal from the Labour caucus in Parliament is not reversed. The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, said he had met Mr Anderton and he thought the process Mr Anderton was working through was the correct way to have the matter resolved. Mr Anderton (Lab., Sydenham), did not attend the 10minute Labour caucus in Parliament yesterday because he has been denied the Whip and is no longer a member of the caucus even though still a Labour member of Parliament. This has arisen because he supported Labour Party policy, but opposed his Parliamentary colleagues by abstaining from voting on legislation to permit the sale of the Bank of New Zealand. Mr Anderton said yesterday he would not stand in the 1990 General Election if the row over his caucus membership was not resolved in his favour. "I will not put my electorate through a by-election but my political career will be over from the end of 1990 if my interpretation of my caucus status is rejected,” he said.

“In the meantime, I choose to stay from caucus meetings until the matter is resolved and will, therefore, miss next week’s vote on Prime Minister David Lange’s leadership. “Because of my long-standing commitment to the Labour Party, and ultimately the Labour Government, I have been endeavouring through lengthy discussions with the Parliamentary leadership to resolve this matter,” Mr Anderton said.

That has included meeting the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer. He would not divulge the outcome of those meetings. Mr Anderton has asked the New Zealand Council of the Labour Party to rule on his position. “I don’t believe a Labour member of Parliament can be suspended by the caucus from membership of the caucus for upholding Labour Party policy,” he said. “The only way a Labour member of Parliament can lose the right to participate in the caucus is by losing their seat in the House or by suspension from the Labour Party.” His discussions with the Labour Party’s president, Ms Ruth Dyson, had led to her agreement that the matter should go to the council. He did not know when the council would deal with it, but thought it was not likely to be before next Wednesday’s leadership vote. If the council decided against him and in favour of his suspension from the caucus, then it would be logical for the council also to suspend his Labour Party membership.