Pubdate: Sat, 19 Jun 1999 Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia) Copyright: Illawarra Newspapers Contact: http://mercury.illnews.com.au/ 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D