Jones to take opposite poll

Press, 30 March 1989, Page 3

Jones to take opposite poll

PA Wellington A well-known businessman, Mr Bob Jones, said yesterday he would take a poll of all members of Parliament to gauge their opinions of business leaders. He said the idea for a survey of Parliamentarians comes after an article in the “National Business Review” giving details of a poll taken among business leaders on the performance of the Government and Opposition.

The “Business Review Weekly”-Bank of New Zealand quarterly survey of business opinion, reported in the newspaper showed 90 per cent of the 40 respondents — described as “captains of industry” — thought the Government’s performance was bad while 10 per cent said it was average.

Just under half said the Opposition was as bad, while the rest thought its performance was “ho

hum.” No-one said it had done well.

“I seriously question the validity of these polls,” Mr Jones said. “I head New Zealand’s ninth-largest company and was not asked to participate. I have questioned the chief executives of two other even larger companies and they too know nothing of this ‘N.B.R.’ business leaders’ poll.”

The newspaper’s editor, Mr Warren Berryman, said the poll was not an “N.8.R.” poll.

“Bob seems to have made a mistake here. He’s a bit confused. The thing (poll) was put together in Australia. We had nothing to do with it. We merely thought it interesting.” He said the poll came from respected sources and he had no reason to think there was anything wrong with it.

Mr Jones went on to say business leaders had given a “woeful” performance over the last year and he considered they had little right to comment on politicians’ performance. He said having had a foot in both camps (Mr Jones was the leader of the New Zealand Party in the 1984 election), it was his opinion the demands and pressures on politicians far outweighed those on business leaders.

“It is time some balance was restored as it is simply too easy to criticise behind the cloak of anonymity,” he said.

The Jones’ poll will seek Parliamentarians’ views of New Zealand business leaders’ competence, integrity and consistency. It will also ask their views on the “N.8.R.” The results will be made public.