Discussions hold key to future of tour

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33154, 19 February 1973, Page 1

Discussions hold key to future of tour

fftew Zealand Press Association) ' WELLINGTON, February 18.

Discussions held yesterday between the Prime Minister (Mr Kirk) and representatives of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union almost certainly hold the key to the future of the proposed Springbok tour.

The chairman of the Rugby Union council (Mr J. L. Sullivan) said after the meeting that the discussions had been “frank and friendly” and that the Prime Minister had put “certain matters” to them which would be given further consideration at the next meeting of the council on Friday.

At a press conference after the meeting, Mr Kirk was asked if he had specifically asked the Rugby Union to call off the tour. He said that he had not done so. “If you follow the policy of persuasian, that isn’t the sort of thing you would do at a meeting that is called to seek further consideration,” Mr Kirk said.

The meeting lasted for some two hours and was attended by four Rugby Union councillors, including Mr Sullivan, and on the Government side, Mr Kirk was accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Watt) and the Minister of Police (Mr Connelly). They had with them the Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Mr F. H. Corner), and the Commissioner of Police (Mr W. H. Sharp) also attended the meeting for some time to answer questions from the union representatives on the

report from the police to the Government on the consequences of the tour. Talking to the press after the meeting, Mr Sullivan said that the council was basically aware of most of the information given by the Prime Minister, but Mr Kirk had expanded on some aspects. Mr Sullivan refused to comment on reports of threats against union officials and their families. Asked to reconsider Asked if the Rugby Union had put any additional information to the Government, Mr Sullivan said it had not. “Our case was well known to Mr Kirk. We just reiterated where we stood.” Asked whether the meeting on Friday meant that the Rugby Union was going to reconsider its previous decision to let arrangements proceed, Mr Sullivan replied that they would take back to the council the information the Prime Minister had given when he asked the Rugby Union to reconsider. Mr Kirk said that he recognised there were a great many difficulties, not just for

the Government but for other! people. “What we are trying to do is follow the policy that we put forward — persuasian and showing what is involved, reasonably trying to get a response,” he said.

He said that he had no plans to meet the anti-tour groups. The Government was well aware of their views, as those groups were of the Government’s. But he emphasised that the question was one for the Government. Asked whether the Rugby Union had changed its stance, the Prime Minister said that generally he felt they had made it clear that they wanted to get on with the business of playing football. “But that should not be interpreted as meaning that they do not have a good understanding of what is involved or that they have been unwilling to discuss it,” he said. H.A.K.T. criticised “I think one of the troubles with this controversy has been that too many hypothetical questions have intervened and it has prevented consideration,” he said. For example, some of the things being said by H.A.R.T. “even if they don’t intend to do so couldn’t have done more to ensure that the tour would go on.

“I think that sometimes too much is said and far too

much is said unwisely,” he! said. Mr Kirk said he wanted itl to be clear that the Government was going to act on the! basis of what it believed was ; in the best interests of New Zealand; that it was going to [conduct discussions in a reasonable fashion with reasonable people; and that it was going to do everything that was necessary, whether the tour went forward or not, to ensure that law and order was maintained.