POLITICAL OUTLOOK

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 55, 15 July 1965, Page 2

POLITICAL OUTLOOK

A count of heads reported to have been started within the ranks of the Labour Party as a prelude to a likely struggle for power before the end of this year. Prize for the winner of the struggle is the leadership of the party at next year's general election.

On the surface the Opposition presents a reasonably undivided front but beneath the surface a great deal of unrest is manifest. Essentially this springs from doubts as to whether or not Mr Nordmeyer is the right man to bring the party back from the political wilderness. Two alternative leaders are immediately obvious, the present deputy, the Hon. H. Watt (Onehunga) and the president of the party, Mr N. E. Kirk (Lyttelton). Mr Watt is not expected to make any deliberate bid for leadership against Mr Nordmeyer but the most significant part he could play in any attempt made to topple Mr Nordmeyer would be to stand passively on the side line, neither encouraging nor discouraging. Should he decide to adopt iv> firm policy many people feel Mr Kirk's chances would brighten considerably. For this would mean a straight Nordmeyer-Kirk battle with personality issues from outside likely to cloud the directness of choice for Labour members. Mr Kirk's chances of winning would at the moment, with the count just beginning, he rated about 6 to 4 against. Mention that • Mr Watt is actively sup por ting neither would just about even the odds. Guarantees that Mr Kirk has the full support of Auckland members would swing them his way. j

Historically the year could well turn out to have considerable significance for the Labour Party. * * * Sir Leslie Munro (Government — Waipa) has ,shown a sturdy independent line throughout the session, generally f.ollowing the party, hut on occasions showing that he is not altogether happy with the trend of events. He made it quite clear he thought the Government should have voted more for defence expenditure this year and last week when Parliament was discussing the need for an upper house, Sir Leslie indicated he was in favour of one. Although discussion was on a non party basis Sir Leslie's view was not that of the majority of Government members. He was, however, in good company for the acting Prime Minister, Mr Marshall, also supported the idea of an upper house, although he agreed it was not practicable at the present time. * * * A top diplomatic appointment, that of New Zealand High Commissioner in India, will ,soon he filled — and it is nnderstood that the appointment will be a political one. Whether the lucky man will be a former politician or a prominent National Party member is not known but the likelihood is that he will be one or the other. •

He will succeed a former National Party district chairman, Mr F. H. T. de Malmanche, whose term expired recently. New Zealand has been short on overseas postings for - some years. . Independent diplomatic opinion believes that the professional man is first choice in efficiency, but senior diplomats admit that the retired politician, particularly if he has been a Cabinet Minister, has the advantage of knowing the New Zealand political scene and atmosphere. Opinion of the value of non-Parliamentary political appointments is that they frequently fail from simply not knowing what they are there for. A political appointee may be a big social success without obtaining any notable advantage for his country.

— N.Z.C.N.A. Newa Servlce