M.P. won’t stand again

Press, 1 March 1989, Page 4

M.P. won’t stand again

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Parliament

The National Minister of Education from 197884, Mr Merv Wellington, has announced he will not seek re-election for Parliament next year. He was first elected when aged 35, for the new electorate of Papakura in National’s landslide victory of 1975. He has held the seat since.

In 1986, after two years in Opposition, he announced he would not seek re-election in 1987, but changed his mind and served another term.

Mr Wellington has been a member of the conservative wing of the National Party and has remained one of the clos-

est allies of his former boss — Sir Robert Muldoon — both in Government and Opposition.

He was one of the ablest debaters among the first-term National backbenchers between 1975 and 1978 and after 1978 was one of the new group brought into the Cabinet by Sir Robert. His 5y 2 years as Minister of Education were fraught with controversy. Early on he became offside with the teachers’ unions and most elements of the education establishment.

Mr Wellington presided over the integration of private and religious schools into the State system — his most significant achievement as Min-

ister. In Opposition after 1984 his continued support of Sir Robert after he had lost the leadership landed him in trouble with the new leader, Mr Jim McLay.

Both he and Sir Robert were demoted to the bottom places in the National caucus.

The replacement of Mr McLay by Mr Jim Bolger saw their temporary reelevation. But Mr Wellington continued to be controversial and under Mr Bolger his decline in influence begun under Mr McLay has continued.

“After the next election there are other interests I shall want to pursue,” Mr Wellington, now aged 48, said.