Chancellor Sees Minister

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31089, 18 June 1966, Page 3

Chancellor Sees Minister

(N.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON, June 17. The Vice-Chancel-lor of Auckland University (Mr K. J. Maidment) and the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) for more than two hours today discussed measures to clear up the Auckland University “spy” controversy.

The Attorney-General (Mr Hanan) and the head of the Security Service (Mr H. E. Gilbert) also attended the meeting. “We met to consider what might be done to clear up this' ferment. This was the sole objective for all of us,” said Mr Shand.

He said the meeting considered possible courses of action and added that once a course was decided on, there could be further discussions.

Asked if Mr Maidment had given an assurances or if the meeting had reached any conclusions, Mr Shand said: “I cannot comment.” Mr Maidment said: “We had very amicable talks. There were no knives out and we were not stabbing each other.

“We discussed this affair thoroughly and I shall have no further comment to make until I have reported on the discussions to the University Council on Monday afternoon.”

In Parliament today the matter was raised again at question time.

The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) said he understood there were members of the Communist Party on the staff of New Zealand universities. “Only one university student is known to be a member of the Communist Party, although it is known that a small number of students have close connexions with the party,” he said. Mr R. J. Tizard (Opp., Pakuranga) asked if there was any challenge to the

rights of the security officer, until he was asked to make inquiries about two visiting students. Mr Holyoake: I think that is correct. Mr S. A. Whitehead (Opp., Nelson) asked if it was a recent trend that Communist sympathisers had been at the universities. Mr Holyoake: I know of no particular trend. Mr A. McCready (Govt. Otaki) asked the Minister of Police (Mr Allen) if he could confirm that Dr. Ruth Butterworth opened the locked doors of the lecture block admitting students of other faculties who caused disturb-

ances resulting in the police being called. Mr Allen: It is true that

Dr. Butterworth opened the doors. Police inquiries were still continuing, he said. Mr Tizard asked Mr Allen if, in fact, the door had been locked and if Dr. Butterworth had unlocked it to get out of the block. Mr Allen: I prefer not to answer questions until I have a full report from the police. “This door was locked and Dr. Butterworth opened it. The students were from another faculty,” he said. Mrs E. I. Tombleson (Govt., Gisborne) asked Mr Allen if it was true that a student, Richard Northey, a son of a professor, was manhandled by the police during a riot at the university.

Mr Allen: From information I have received this student was not manhandled.

Inquiries are still continuing into this matter. Mr N. N. Douglas (Opp., Auckland Central): If the student was not manhandled, did he dive on to the concrete on his head by himself?

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) asked the Speaker (Sir Ronald Algie) if a minister could refuse to answer questions because inquiries were still being made. Mr Holyoake: A minister is not obliged to answer a question. Mr Douglas: I suggest the questions should not have been allowed to go on the order paper if they could not be answered. The fact that they went on the order paper means the Government was inviting questions on the subject.