Prebble speaks out for Backbone Club

Press, 13 April 1989, Page 3

Prebble speaks out for Backbone Club

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington “Inaccurate, illogical and regrettable” is how attacks on the Backbone Club have been described by the former Minister for State-Owned Enterprises, Mr Richard Prebble. He was commenting on allegations (“The Press,” April 12) on the Backbone Club by the president of the Labour Party, Ms Ruth Dyson. She had said the club was out to “undermine the Government” and had described it as “a Right-wing organisation.” Mr Prebble said she had described it as an anti-Government Rightwing organisation because

apparently a former member of the National Party had joined. This guilt-by-association type of attack was not the sort of thing he associated with a president of the Labour Party. Next Ms Dyson would be describing the Government as a far-Left organisation because the country’s most prominent communist, Mr Ken Douglas, had made statements supporting it. There were members of the Cabinet who were former members of the National Party, Mr Prebble said, but that did not make the Cabinet Right-wing. Ms Dyson should leave personalities out of it and examine the issues being

raised by the Backbone Club. It was saying that Rogernomics was an economic philosophy of equality and opportunity, and was opposed to privilege, whether it was in the form of subsidies, licensing or other regulatory advantage. Mr Prebble, a prominent member of the Backbone Club, said the club was advocating mainstream Labour Party beliefs. The club was also calling on the Labour Party to reform its constitution to make the party a more democratic organisation and these were the issues that Ms Dyson should be responding to as president.