ATTACK ON MINISTER "Unemployed St. George Running Round Country”

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31439, 4 August 1967, Page 10

ATTACK ON MINISTER "Unemployed St. George Running Round Country”

(New Zealand Preu Azzoeiation)

DUNEDIN, August 3.

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) today described the Minister of Defence (Mr Thomson) as “an unemployed St. George running round the country in search of a dragon.”

Mr Kirk, who said this in an interview in Dunedin, was referring to the Minister’s twoday trip to Otago to visit defence establishments and tourist resorts.

“Whilst it might be amusing for the Minister to be seen running round the country like some unemployed St George looking for a dragon, the wide variety and unreliability of his statements can only add to the public’s confusion about his intentions,** Mr Kirk said. Mr Kirk explained that he was commenting particularly on statements made by Mr Thomson in Dunedin on Wednesday and in Wellington last week.

Mr Thomson said in Dunedin on Wednesday that "a

number” of Air Force planes should be made available should New Zealand decide to increase its military contribution to the Vietnam war. He added that he had, however, made no proposals of this nature to the C* binet

“Last week the Minister, speaking in a defence context said that New Zealand had for too long been a puppet of Britain,” said Mr Kirk. “Now he indicates that he is waiting for Air ViceMarshal Ky to tell him whether or not he should send more troops to Vietnam.

“We have never been a puppet of Britain’s. Nor do we wish to become putty in anyone else’s hands." Mr Kirk said he “deplored the damage that these thoughtless statements of the Minister’s are likely to do in New Zealand. Common Market

“They are particularly deplorable since Mr Thomson’s

colleague, the Minister for Overseas Trade, has been going cap-in-hand to the British Government to protect New Zealand’s position if Britain enters the Common Market” Mr Kirk was asked to comment on a statement made by the Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon) in Dunedin last week in which he said that New Zealand could finance a larger military commitment in Vietnam or South-east Asia. Mr Muldoon said that a major limitation on defence spending was availability of overseas funds, but a special defence credit could relieve pressure on such funds. Mr Kirk said: “I hope that the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Finance will agree that New Zealand's well-being and its ability to defend itself depends on overseas exchange. “Trade Vital”

“Right now we should be preoccupied with trade—not overseas expenditure. “One can only be astounded to learn that the Minister of Defence is itching to spend more overseas funds. “Even more disturbing is the assertion by the Minister of Finance that he is prepared to finance this sort of thing by borrowing—at a time when thousands of New Zealanders are being thrown out of wort because of our plight regarding overseas funds,” said Mr Kirk.