P.M. deplores statements

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33191, 3 April 1973, Page 1

P.M. deplores statements

(New Zealand Press Association/

WELLINGTON, April 2.

Public servants should not be silenced, but they should make it clear that when they were making a statement that it was either their views or those of the Government, said the Prime Minister (Mr Kirk) tonight.

Mr Kirk had been asked about difficulties over water cooling for the proposed Huntly power station.

Mr Kirk also spoke of the New Plymouth power project, and the suggestion that the Government would buy V.I.P. aircraft for the Air Force.

The final position on the Huntly power project would [not be known until the environmental impact study had (been completed, said Mr

Kirk. There might be other ways around the problem. The Government had already shown by its actions at Manapouri and what it intended to do about Wanaka that it was serious about preserving the environment as far as it was practical to do so.

“Reports surfaced in New Plymouth in which some unnamed Health Department spokesman took it upon himself to abandon as of apparently no consequence the fact that the release of hightemperature waters into the sea would have quite an effect on shellfish.

"He was probably wise to remain unnamed because that sort of attitude on the part of public servants in Government departments finished on December 8,” Mr Kirk said. (On that date the Labour Government took office.)

The Government would decide that sort of thing—not unnamed spokesmen, said Mr Kirk. It concerned the Government as much as it undoubtedly did the people of Huntly and New Plymouth that such statements should be made and attributed to the Government when there was no responsibility and no justification for such an attribution.

The siting of the New Plymouth power station was made some years ago. It would be completed under a Labour Government, which would see that everything possible was done to avoid harming the environment. “I am getting tired of reading in newspapers the views of people who are emploved to serve as if they were elected to govern,’’ Mr Kirk said. Answering questions about the V.I.P. planes. Mr Kirk said that the DC3 aircraft would have to be replaced, land there were good grounds I for the Air Force being in [charge of the new planes. [However, no decision had been reached by the Government and the question had not come to the Cabinet. i Mr Kirk said that the Government had not given authority for the calling of tenders for such planes.