Demotion draws mixed reactions

Press, 21 October 1989, Page 11

Demotion draws mixed reactions

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington The demotion of Winston Peters

has produced conflicting responses in the National Party and delight in the Labour Party.

His demotion by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, was described as “showing decisive leadership” by the president of the National Party, Mr John Collinge. A former National Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, said it was “a mistake” because Mr Peters had been performing better on the front bench in attacking Labour than anyone else. Almost everyone on the National Party saw it as a negative event, he said.

Thousands of people thought Mr Peters should be Prime Minister, said Sir Robert, who considered the public would not like the demotion. Asked if there would now be a challenge from Mr Peters against Mr Bolger, he said: “Anything can happen now. This thing’s not going to finish here and it’s got several more chapters, unfortunately.” Mr Collinge said that if there was a challenge, he hoped it would be over quickly. National needed to focus on the policies .and organisation for winning next year’s election and any leadership doubts would be destabilising. Mr Bolger said he had decided to act withot utalking to Mr Peters because he was “sick of papering over the cracks” after speeches Mr Peters had made. No matter how Mr Peters tried to explain his speech to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, it was an attack on his party’s policy and his colleagues.

Mr Peters said he was still waiting to hear from Mr Bolger about why he had been demoted, what part of the speech was against party policy, and what parts Mr Bolger did not agree with.

Sir Robert said he thought it was probably a mistake for Mr Bolger not to have talked to Mr Peters before demoting him.

The general opinion in caucus was that Mr Peters had been “grand-stand-ing” and deserved to be punished. There is support for Mr Bolger’s decisive leadership. There was little support for a leadership challenge and no-one spoken to thought it would succeed, but a few thought an unsuccessful challenge might start a cumulative roll against Mr Bolger. All thought such a process would be destabilising for National.

Labour, on the other hand, has been loving every minute of the demotion.

Mr Jim Sutton (Lab., Waitaki) asked if Mr Philip Burdon (Nat., Fendalton) had got Mr Peters’ front-bench seat because it had “been put out to tender.” The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Mrs Shields, asked what had happened to Miss Ruth Richardson (Nat., Selwyn) in all this.

“She has shown herself capable of expressing strong opinions on everything from the gold standard to preventing unmarried motherhood, so where does she stand on National’s leadership?” the Minister asked. The Minister of Employment, Mrs King, said Mr Peters had shown more compassion for the unemployed than the new Opposition spokesman on -employment, Mr John Banks (Whangarei). Mr Banks came from a region with high unemployment, but had once said he would abolish dole payments and that unemployed people would “then work because they would get hungry.” Mr Jim Anderton (N.L.P., Sydenham), , said Mr Peters had nowhere to go now. but for Mr Bolger’s throat to pursue his perception that New Zealand craved political leadership.

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