Conservatives form alliance

Press, 25 June 1983, Page 8

Conservatives form alliance

NZPA staff correspondent London The National Party president, Mrs Sue Wood, is representing New Zealand at the launching of the International Democrat Union (LD.U.), a new alliance of conservative parties, here today. The British Prime Minister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, the American Vice-Presi-dent, Mr George Bush, and the West German Chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl. are jL

among Centre-Right party leaders who will be at the launching. The LD.U. will bring together the European Democrat Union, formed in 1978, and the Pacific Democrat Union, formed last year. The new organisation would be able to claim the backing of nearly 150 million people who supported the parties in these groups, said the LD.U. "At twice the size of the Socialist International’s comparative support, it will be the most representative

and broadly-based international political organisation,” it added. Its aim was to increase the already growing cooperation between centre and centre-right parties in the world’s industrialised countries.. Party leaders attending the meeting include Premier Kaare Willoch of the Norwegian Conservative party, Premier Poul • Schluter of the Danish Conservative party, the French Conservative leader, Mr Jacques Chirac, and the

Australian Liberal leader, Mr Andrew Peacock. Mr Peacock will be one of the keynote speakers with Mrs Thatcher, VicePresident Bush and Chancellor Kohl at the inauguration ceremony. The Pacific Democrat Union, which has just been meeting in Honolulu, includes the New Zealand National Party, the Australian Liberals, the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party, America’s Republican Party and the Canadian Progressive Conservatives. T

Fiji’s Alliance Party is the newest member of the P.D.U. and the Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, was at the Honolulu meeting, which was also attended by New Zealand’s former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Brian Taiboys, who is vice-chairman of the P.D.U. The P.D.U. will hold a special meeting in Canberra in December to discuss election campaign techniques, television advertising, polling, the youth and women’s vote, and selection of candidates.