Battle diverts conference

Press, 12 August 1989, Page 3

Battle diverts conference

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Dunedin

The battle over the presidency and doubts over the leadership will leave little time for policy discussion at the National Party conference. Delegates were expecting the conference to be diverted by the presidency battle, the vote on which will be held at the end of the conference tomorrow afternoon. The personal and nasty tactics of supporters of both presidential candidates have got nastier and more personal. Some supporters of Mr John Collinge have membership lists which purport to show that National has gone backwards during the three-year presidency of Mr Neville Young, and are citing examples of what are described as “poor leader-

ship qualities.” Questions about the effectiveness of the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, have followed him down from Parliament and will be cranked up further as his members of Parliament arrive. One stick to beat him with has been his cutting speech in Parliament on Mr David Lange’s resignation. It may seem strange that the Leader of the Opposition should be criticised by his colleagues for attacking the leader of the Government. It is clear that this is just an excuse to have a go at him. However footling the issue, the motivation behind it is serious for My Bolger. His leadership has become an issue for the conference and he is having to direct his energies to defend himself.

During the week in which the Labour Government has found itself a new Prime Minister, its internal bickering has died down and a semblance of unity emerged, and in which it has surged closer to National in the public opinion polls, National members of - Parliament have been reflecting on where this leaves them. From being so far ahead of Labour for so long, National now has a fight on its hands to win next year’s General Election. Those who see these 18 months as wasted, and who blame Mr Bolger for perceived lack of policies and lack of dynamism, are bringing their doubts to the conference and starting to share them beyond their own immediate electorate delegations.