“Political Conspiracy” Mr Kirk On Resolution

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31225, 24 November 1966, Page 3

“Political Conspiracy” Mr Kirk On Resolution

(N.Z. Press Association)

PALMERSTON NORTH, Nov. 23.

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) said last night that the Vietnam gunners’ resolution issue had been “a bungling and fumbling attempt to perpetrate a political conspiracy.”

Addressing an audience of more than 500 he said that independent persons, including soldiers who had served in Vietnam at the time, had been moved to “give the lie to the wild claim” of the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) on the “so-called unanimous resolution” from the troops in Vietnam. Mr Kirk said that on May 25 there was a message received by the New Zealand Press Association purporting to contain the text of a unani-

mous resolution passed by the gunners—but no source was attributed to the resolution. Because of its anonymous nature and the text of the message, publication was delayed until inquiries had been made. “The Press Association always acts in a very responsible manner,” said Mr Kirk. Before the inquiries had been completed and before an amended version of the original text—“two grubby pieces of paper”—was published in the newspapers, the four members of Parliament who had been in Vietnam returned to New Zealand. At the airport, one of the party, Mr L. F. Sloane. National M.P. for Hobson, had been handed a telegraphed message and told to read it before he left the aeroplane.

Mr Sloane was interviewed by the N.Z.B.C. and in response to a question referred to the resolution, saying “as was reported in the press in the last few days . . .”

“No newspaper had published the report,” said Mr Kirk.

The Under-Secretary of Finance (Mr Muldoon), speaking last week in Gisborne, had claimed Mr Sloane was present wnen the paper on which the resolution was written was handed to the press, said Mr Kirk. Mr Holyoake had claimed the gunners’ resolution was passed at a meeting on May 24. but within a fortnight he had said there had been no such meeting. “Why was he moved to say there had been no such meeting?” Mr Kirk asked.

“He only said this after Lieutenant Colonel W. T. Foley, commander of the New Zealand troops in Vietnam at that time, stated there had been no meeting of soldiers.

“If there was no meeting, how was the resolution passed—in a hat?” Corporal M. J. Millar, who returned from Vietnam last week, asked if he had

seen or signed a resolution, was quoted as saying: “What resolution?”

Told it was a resolution condemning Labour Party policy, Corporal Millar had replied: “I am not aware of any such resolution. I was certainly not asked to sign it,” said Mr Kirk.

He said the Labour members of the mission to Vietnam, the deputy leader (Mr Watt) and Dr. A. M. Finlay. M.P. for Waitakere, were “most cordially received” by the troops. One of the gunners was a close relative of a Labour M.P. and spent some time with Dr. Finlay and Mr Watt. There was no mention of the resolution.

The Presbyterian chaplain to the battery, the Rev. A. S. McKenzie, had said he had not heard of a resolution.