He hasn’t been part of team for a very long time—P.M.

Press, 19 April 1989, Page 1

He hasn’t been part of team for a very long time —P.M.

By

BRENDON BURNS

in Wellington Mr Jim Anderton resigned from the Labour Party having failed to draw union support for a third party, it was suggested yesterday by the Prime Minister, Mr Lange. Describing the resignation as sad but not unexpected, Mr Lange said Mr Anderton might still try to start a third party. But Sydenham would be held at the next election by the Labour Party’s candidate. Mr Anderton was said to represent a “fringe element,” isolated in the Government caucus, who had failed to win support in- the party. Mr Lange paid tribute to Mr Anderton’s “very significant contribution” to the Labour Party. He had given himself singlemindedly to restructuring the Labour Party while president

from 1979 to 1984. Mr Lange said yesterday’s announcement only legitimised a de facto situation. “He hasn’t been part of the team, as it were, for a very long time.” Mr Lange said he believed Mr Anderton would be disappointed that he was not able to quit the Labour Party claiming to be the leader of a new party.

Asked if Mr Anderton had suffered a big falling out with some trade unions affiliated to the party, Mr Lange said: “I don’t know. But I would surmise ...” He was certain these unions would not support any break away from the Labour Party. Mr Lange said he had also heard about a big clash last week between the Sydenham electorate and some unions. For years the electorate had been keen to change the way in which the party’s leadership was

decided, he said. There was a time when there used to be a big debate at Labour Party conferences about using an electoral college of party members to choose Labour’s leader. Eventually sense won out, Mr Lange said. (The Labour Party Caucus of members of Parliament chooses the leader.) The trade union movement had drifted away from Mr Anderton, not wanting to tie themselves to his repudiation of the Labour Party and Government. “You don’t actually, when you are looking for progress, pick one member of Parliament and abandon the other 50 plus.” Mr Lange said that in hindsight it was obvious that Mr Anderton’s attempt to gain trade union support had led the Council of Trade Unions president, Mr Ken Douglas, to endorse the existing Labour leadership.

Third parties would still emerge before the next election. A couple of these could be quite useful to the Government, he said.

But a Labour Party candidate would win Sydenham, even if Mr Anderton stood, because Labour represented core support and a traditional ethos.

“... You still will have no success as an Independent against a Labour candidate in a seat like Mangere (Mr Lange’s) or Sydenham.”

No other Government member of Parliament would join Mr Anderton in leaving the Labour Party, Mr Lange said. “They’re not lemmings,” he said. ■

It was obvious that Mr Anderton had alienated himself from support he had previously enjoyed within the Government caucus.