By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter
The Alliance is facing a split between its MPs and members over the party's position on the "war against terrorism".
Alliance MPs voted with Labour to back America's response to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington and supported the sending of SAS troops to Afghanistan.
The position is anathema to party members with beliefs rooted in the peace movement and Third World causes and who fear United States domination.
The split exacerbates tensions about whether the Alliance differentiates itself enough from Labour.
In response to this internal pressure, the Alliance's national council is to have a special telephone conference tomorrow on the war position.
President Matt McCarten, who stood unsuccessfully for the Auckland mayoralty, is among the many who disapprove of the MPs' vote.
Alliance leader Jim Anderton defends the MPs' position but in a letter to members has acknowledged their strong feelings against it.
He also called a meeting of members in Auckland on Thursday night to explain the MPs' actions ahead of today's Auckland regional council meeting, where resolutions calling on them to reverse their position will be discussed.
A poll published yesterday confirmed that the MPs have not reflected the views of most Alliance voters on the issue. The NBR-Compaq poll showed 65 per cent of Alliance voters are opposed to the sending of troops.
The poll points to a fairly even split among all voters on that issue: 48 per cent approve, 45 per cent disapprove and 7 per cent are unsure.
Other poll findings include:
* 72 per cent of New Zealanders approve of George W. Bush's handling of issues since the terrorist attack (33 per cent strongly approve, 39 per cent somewhat approve).
* 25 per cent disapprove of his handling (9 per cent strongly disapprove and 16 per cent somewhat disapprove).
* Alliance voters were the least approving, with 39 per cent approving. Green voters were 57 per cent approving and Labour voters 69 per cent.
* National voters were most approving with 84 per cent approving. Act voters were 79 per cent approving and New Zealand First voters 77 per cent.
* 64 per cent of all those polled approved of US troops going into Afghanistan (28 per cent disapproved and 8 per cent were unsure).
On likely outcomes: 24 per cent believed the strikes would make the world safe again and 66 per cent believed there would be a messier outcome.
The poll of 750 people was conducted between October 11 and 14 by UMR Research. Its margin of error was 3.6 per cent.
By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter
The Alliance is facing a split between its MPs and members over the party's position on the "war against terrorism".
Alliance MPs voted with Labour to back America's response to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington and supported the sending of SAS troops to Afghanistan.
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