Ardour of Outdoor Recreation party mellows

By HELEN TUNNAH

The political party Outdoor Recreation New Zealand may already be a victim of its own success.

This week, the party received taxpayer funding for television and radio broadcasting, but its list of candidates for the July 27 election has dwindled.

"We started off with 30, but for varying reasons we're down to 15," interim chairman Stuart Mirfin told the Weekend Herald. "There's been some come and go because what people find is it's a fulltime commitment in Parliament, and I think a number of people put their names forward, thinking they would help out.

"As it looks more likely we could be successful to some degree, they start to get cold feet."

Mr Mirfin said the party's key policy planks were supporting outdoor recreation and protecting the environment. An independent council would interview all 15 candidates for the list this weekend, he said.

The party was attacked by National Party president Michelle Boag yesterday. She asked how the Electoral Commission could justify giving Outdoor Recreation $25,000 and five minutes of free television for opening and closing campaign addresses. National received $615,000, and 16 minutes for its addresses.

Mr Mirfin said the party had attracted professional people, farmers and freezing workers and had good support from women. Members were already campaigning for the party vote, with meetings in Taupo this week.

Outdoor Recreation was formed by a group of Nelson people last year, and now had 3000 members.

Mr Mirfin said outdoor sportspeople had concerns about the restricted use of public land and the Queen's Chain, increasing pollution of the waterways and land, and the spreading of 1080 poison to kill possums.

He said maintaining the right to fish and hunt, use public land and preserve the environment went to the heart of the New Zealand lifestyle.

Outdoor Recreation has estimated it will need 105,000 votes to get MPs into Parliament off the list.

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