NO PUSSYFOOTING, NATS WANT ONE NATION VOTES

The NSW National Party yesterday launched an aggressive bid to claw back
support from One Nation and distance itself from moderates in the Liberal Party.

State Nationals leader George Souris said the party's disappointing
performance in the March election showed it had to stake out its own
territory on policy issues, even if that meant upsetting the Liberals.

At the Nationals State Conference in Port Macquarie, Mr Souris outlined
hardline attitudes towards gays, environmentalists and drug reform which
were designed to appeal to the rural heartland.

"There will be no pussyfooting around with the Independents and Labor
stooges, no quarter given to One Nation and absolutely no truck with the
lotus eaters of the green groupings," Mr Souris told the conference, his
first as party leader.

"For that the Liberals may well find us difficult to live with but that's
the way it's going to be. We are done with being cajoled into sharing
policies which betray our party ideals and which detract from our purpose.

"No more going soft on drug laws, no more watering down our opposition to
indulgence and selfish gay rights laws, no more concessions to the endless
avarice of the environmentalists."

Mr Souris pleaded with One Nation supporters to give the Nationals a second
chance but denied pursuing a right-wing agenda to woo back Pauline Hanson's
supporters.

"What country people want is a solid representation of important social and
economic issues and that's what we're going to do," he said. "They don't
need extremism and we don't propose to peddle extremism for the sake of
publicity."

He attacked the Liberals over the ``inexcusable waste of money, talent and
resources'' caused by three-cornered contests during the election.

But despite the obvious anger towards the Liberals, the conference rejected
a proposal to split from the Coalition while in opposition.

Former Nationals' leader Wal Murray said it would be more effective to
pursue a separate agenda within the Coalition.

Mr Murray also had some sharp advice for Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer,
telling him to stand up to the Federal Liberals.

"The Federal Ministry and the Federal National Party are very strongly seen
throughout NSW as not standing up to the Libs, not pushing the National
Party banner," he said.

Mr Murray denied Mr Fischer's leadership was under threat but said the party
itself would be on shaky ground if it did not start getting its message across.

The Nationals underlined their new assertiveness by passing a motion urging
people to ignore extended daylight saving provisions being brought in for
the Olympics next year.