Sunday Club points finger at Richardson

Press, 26 April 1989, Page 5

Sunday Club points finger at Richardson

By

GLEN PERKINSON

The National Party ginger group, the Sunday Club, says the Opposition finance spokeswoman, Miss Ruth Richardson, is not the right person for the job.

The club’s quarterly meeting in Christchurch expressed concern about Miss Richardson’s handling of the spokesperson’s job. ‘‘Her sympathies seem to lie more with Labour’s Backbone Club than with the National Party,” a Sunday Club statement said. The Sunday Club chairman, Mr Bert Walker, told “The Press” that club members thought Miss Richardson, the member of Parliament for Selwyn, “hasn’t got the grasp of finance for the times we

are experiencing.” He said her message was not getting across to voters. “Auckland members are adamant that Ruth Richardson is not satisfactory as finance spokeswoman.” “Her cliches and wisecracks are no solution to the problems of the time,” he said. The club urged the leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, to take note of what the “grass roots” of the party were saying and consider replacing Miss Richardson. Yesterday Miss Rich-

ardson responded to the club’s attack saying it was a “one-man band” that dealt in the “politics of treachery." Her position of finance spokeswoman had been endorsed by Mr Bolger, she said. She said the group had little following and if it wanted to indulge in "side-line sniping” it should align itself with people like Roger Douglas and Jim Anderton. Although the club, which supported the return of Sir Robert Muldoon as party leader, has

no official membership list, Mr Walker estimated it had about 40,000 followers around the country. He said the club had polled supporters at the same time as the recent Eye Witness-Heylen poll showed the Opposition spokesman on Maori Affairs and Employment, Mr Winston Peters, as the preferred Prime Minister. The club’s poll also put Mr Peters on top, ahead of Mr Bolger. However, Mr Walker said the club still supported Mr Bolger as leader. •