'July Front’ To Greet National Party Delegates (Press, 22 July 1977)

On 22 July 1977, National Party members gathered in Dunedin for a significant four-day conference, characterised as an election-year meeting. The timing coincided with a high consumers price index, which has raised concerns among economic commentators about the nation's economic health. The conference was scheduled to commence at 2 p.m., after attendees had absorbed the recent Budget's implications. The Mayor of Dunedin, Sir James Barnes, was set to open the session. Simultaneously, a group named the “July Front” planned to demonstrate outside the venue, intending to picket the Octagon and the Town Hall later in the afternoon, followed by a rally in the evening. Despite the protest, demonstrators and police agreed to avoid any physical disruptions. A spokesperson for the group indicated that their slogan would focus on conveying the views of ordinary people. Among the topics anticipated to incite considerable debate during the conference was a proposal from the Nelson branch advocating for a national referendum on abortion and homosexual law reform. Additionally, a remit from Dunedin North sought tax relief for single-income families. A total of 61 remits were slated for discussion, with only 13 being presented to the full party membership, while the remainder would be handled by special committees from the following day. The conference also planned to allocate extra time during the preliminary session on the following Monday to discuss remits submitted throughout the event, a departure from previous practices. Other contentious subjects expected to be discussed included matters related to poaching, rape, fishing zones, and the Armed Services. More than 1,000 delegates and observers from the 92 electorates were anticipated to attend the conference. In the lead-up to the meeting, there were reports of potential changes to the conference agenda due to delays faced by Mr Talboys in London, who was remaining "on call" while European Ministers in Brussels deliberated over a price increase for New Zealand dairy produce. The outcomes of this conference and its discussions on various social and economic issues were set to have implications for the National Party and the political landscape in New Zealand.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand