Mayoral reception for Mr Kirk

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33093, 7 December 1972, Page 1

Mayoral reception for Mr Kirk

The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr N. G. Pickering) is inviting all citizens to be at a Mayoral reception to Mr Kirk when he makes his first appearance in Christchurch as Prime Minister tomorrow evening.

Mr Kirk, who will be sworn in as Prime Minister at Wellington only hours before he arrives at Christchurch Airport, is expected to make an announcement of national importance during the reception.

It will be held at 6 p.m. immediately outside the main entrance to the internal services foyer at the airport. Mr Pickering will welcome the new Prime Minister on behalf of all citizens of Christchurch in a short speech. Mr Kirk’s reply will be the only other formality. “I am confident that a large number of people will be at the reception of the first Labour Prime Minister from this city, or the South Island,” Mr Pickering said. He has invited about 40 special guests to the Mayoral reception. They include local Labour members of Parliament, and Labour Party members of the City Council. The Prime Minister, Mr Pickering, and special guests will take refreshments in the Horizon Restaurant at the airport after the public reception.

Special functions During the week-end Mr Kirk will attend two special functions for the elderly in Christchurch. He will preside over the first Cabinet meeting of the third Labour Government on Monday in Wellington. On Tuesday Mr Kirk will participate in what has become an annual event for New Zealand Prime Min-isters—-the correspondence school break-up, the Press Association reports from Wellington. The ceremony tomorrow at Government House when the National Government resigns and Mr Kirk’s Labour team takes over will be the culmination of a fortnight’s intensive preparation for the Prime Minister-elect. Mr Kirk has had two busy weeks of long working days receiving visitors, heads of Government departments and Parliamentary colleagues preparing for a smooth change of governments. He has had to deal with trays of correspondence, which continues to pour in daily. Much of the mail is congratulatory but it also contains representations for Gov-

eminent action on a number of subjects. Mr Kirk has already met the heads of the three major Government departments — the secretary of the Treasury, Mr H. G. Lang; the Secretary of Foreign Affairs,. Mr G. R; Laking; and the secretary of the Trade and Industry Department, Mr M. J. Moriarty. Yesterday Mr Kirk had a two-hour meeting with the Federation of Labour national executive.

Mr Kirk has spent considerable time with his deputy, Mr,Watt, this week discussing the allocation. of portfolios for his Cabinet team. No indication has been given about who will occupy which post, and Mr Kirk repeated yesterday that there would be no announcement until Ministers went to Government House to be sworn in. Labour Ministers and their wives, were present in force

in Wellington yesterday looking over Ministerial homes. These are in the process of being vacated by the National team for reallocation to the new Ministers. Members’ rooms in Parliament Buildings were in a chaotic state yesterday as Labour and National swapped offices. A team of Parliamentary messengers, assisted by a group of senior boys from Wellington schools, operated a shuttle service between the General Assembly Library wing and the main buildings shifting filing cabinets, furniture and typewriters. The outgoing Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) is having personal papers gathered since 1948 shifted from the main buildings. He will occupy the office vacated by Mr Kirk.

Mr Marshall's deputy, Mr Muldoon, has decided against occupying Mr Watt’s office. The new deputy Opposition leader has chosen a larger room, formerly occupied by Labour Party research officers, for his new office. National Partv research will take Mr Watt’s office.