Election Candidate Profile: Dick Ryan
Democrats for Social Credit
New Zealand should be an armed neutral state, the Switzerland of the south seas, says NZ Democrats for Social Credit candidate Dick Ryan.
It's a view he has held for a long time, and continues to be a main plank of his candidacy, which he is contesting in Tukituki this year for the second time.
The Dunedin-born son of a navy family, who spent 20 years with the Royal Navy before returning to New Zealand in 1975, he now resides in Havelock North and is in politics because he's "appalled" at the way things are going in this country.
Not only does the lack of a sensible defence position irk him as the party's defence spokesman, he's also unhappy with the wealth generating power of the banks and the country's stance on climate change.