Dr Shearer gets Sunday Club backing

Press, 31 January 1986, Page 6

Dr Shearer gets Sunday Club backing

PA Wellington The Sunday Club has pledged to help the National Party member, Dr lan Shearer, step up his campaign to get financial information from party officials. Dr Shearer, a former Cabinet Minister, was strongly censured by the party’s national executive this week.

The spokeswoman for the Sunday Club, Mrs Sue Mackay, said yesterday that the club stood by Dr Shearer and was even more determined to help him find the answers. The contention of the party president, Mrs Sue Wood, that Dr Shearer’s campaign had no support within the party was incorrect, Mrs Mackay said. The club, a dissident party group, had recently conducted a public opinion poll to gauge support for Sir Robert Muldoon’s restoration as leader.

In the course of the survey evidence was found of strong support for Dr Shearer’s actions - and of a widespread wish to have him replace Mrs Wood as president, Mrs Mackay said. “Dr Shearer has without a doubt a very large following in the community and people are still waiting for Mrs Wood to reply to his questions about the party’s finances.

“These will need to be answered before the party can ever start back on the road to recovery,” she said. .

In spite of Mrs Wood’s insistence that what Dr Shearer sought was sensitive political Information and the exclusive preserve of party officials, paid-up party members were entitled to know what state National was in, Mrs Mackay said. “They pay all money and do all the work - they’re like the shareholder,” she said.