Party faction topples Young, seeks control

Press, 14 August 1989, Page 3

Party faction topples Young, seeks control

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Dunedin

Mr Neville Young is the first National Party domino to be toppled in the campaign by a. faction in the party seeking to take control of it and its policies.

Other dominos are the former Minister of Energy, Mr Bill Birch, who is the leader’s closest confidante in Parliament, and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mr Don McKinnon. The final domino is the leader, Mr Jim Bolger, himself. He is safe now but the questions about his management abilities and his lack of inspiration as a public speaker are making him vulnerable in the new political circumstances. These include a new Labour leadership, a closing of National’s lead in the polls, increased business and financial confidence, a facade of unity in the Government’s caucus, general accept-

ance of the Budget, increasingly obvious disunity in National’s caucus and the party’s wish to move from the pragmatic Centre to the dynamic Right. The core of Mr Collinge’s support came from those opposed to Mr Bolger as well as to Mr Young. They are the group who supported Mr Jim McLay’s brief leadership of National and are economically dry, socially quite liberal, professional and urban, and philosophically pure. Their challenge to Mr Young has included no reference to Mr Bolger as such, but he is clearly the long-term target. Ignoring Mr Bolger has allowed Mr Collinge’s

supporters to attract votes against Mr Young from delegates who might have voted for Mr Young if they had understood the overall strategy. In refusing to support Mr Young, and in staying above and out of the presidential fight, Mr Bolger has ensured he will not be seen to backing the loser. But he has also been seen as indecisive and as a leader who does not provide leadership. This may reduce his ultimate chances of surviving as leader if events swing against him. Voting for Mr Collinge was voting for the new, the more professional and the more upmarket. The qualities delegates

found lacking in Mr Young are the qualities National M.P.s are increasingly finding Mr Bolger lacks too. Delegates who had gone to Dunedin to debate policy found the conference preoccupied with the presidency vote. Details of the vote were kept secret but just under 500 delegates voted and sources said Mr Collinge polled nearly 60 per cent to just over 40 per cent for Mr Young. At times the presidential campaign became merged with worries over Mr Bolger’s effectiveness, and that created some anxieties and confusions.