Party decides not to expel Dr Shearer
By
MARTIN FREETH
in Wellington The National Party’s governing executive decided yesterday not to expel Dr lan Shearer but instead passed a resolution to "severely censure” thedissidentpartymember. The executive’s monthly meeting deliberated on further steps to discipline Dr Shearer, who started a campaign at last year’s conference of the party to get information on its finances and administration.
The executive rejected expulsion or suspension of Dr Shearer’s membership. After the meeting, the party’s president, Mrs Sue Wood, read to reporters the text of a long resolution to censure Dr Shearer for his conduct and for failing to explain it in person to the executive.
Mrs Wood_said on legal advice she had not chaired or taken part in the executive’s delibera-
tion and had not voted on the resolution. The resolution said the executive had found that Dr Shearer's actions, as outlined in two letters to him last December, were “prejudicial to the interests of the party for reasons set out in those letters.”
The executive expressed “its gravest concern” at the actions. Dr Shearer had “failed to use proper and available channels for party communication” and had instead “made misleading public statements of a damaging nature.” He was also “wrong in the assertions he used to justify his behaviour.” The executive’s concern was based also on the failure of Dr Shearer to attend two of its meetings to explain his position. Dr Shearer advised on Tuesday he would not attend yesterday’s meeting. In reply to questions, Mrs Wood declined to re-
lease the two letters from the executive to Dr Shearer, dated December 4 and December 16. She described the matter as a “very sad saga for the National Party.” No section of the party condoned or supported the actions of Dr Shearer. Mrs Wood refused to comment on likely executive action should Dr Shearer continue to criticise publicly the failure to release party information to him. She made it clear that Dr Shearer would not receive the information he sought even if he used party channels from now on.
“Never is all information in a political party available to all members. We’re in a war, it’s a war of words, it’s a political battle and we are all determined to win. “The more senior an office-holder, the more responsibility that person carries and with it the more sensitive political in-
formation,” Mrs Wood said.
Dr Shearer had the rights of any other ordinary party member, she said.
The Press Association reported yesterday that Dr Shearer had responded by saying the decision by the executive would not stop him speaking out He called on Mrs Wood to resign. Dr Shearer, a former Cabinet ’ Minister and chairman of the Tamaki electorate, is suing Mrs wood for defamation after his October suspension from the party. “I am delighted to still be in the National Party,” he said last evening.
But he said the vote for censure rather than expulsion really indicated a vote of no-confidence in Mrs Wood and the party’s general director, Mr Barrie Leay, who “have done their best to get me out Censure does not mean anything at all.”
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Press, 30 January 1986, Page 6
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527Party decides not to expel Dr Shearer Press, 30 January 1986, Page 6
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