Newspaper gives its side of row with Minister

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33958, 26 September 1975, Page 2

Newspaper gives its side of row with Minister

txt Pres* Association) DUNEDIN. September 25. The dispute between the Dunedin “Evening Star” and the Minister of Tourism over an alleged interview about booking of the Dunedin Town Hall had its beginnings on Friday,. September 5, the news-1 paper said this afternoon. Ihe Minister had been expected to attend a social gathering of representatives to a South Island Maori netball tournament at the Town Hall concert chamber, it said.

A "Star" photographer had gone to the function several times in an attempt to photograph the Minister, but at 9.30 p.m. she still had not arrived — to the confusion of some elders.

However, the Minister had been present at the official opening ceremony of the tournament the next day at the Memorial Netball Courts. At the ceremony, the Minister had made a statement

to a •’Star" photographer, Martin Woodhall, in which she had criticised the Town Hall staff for allegedly changing a booking for the Maoris in preference of a public meeting held bv the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Muldoon). Notes kept The photographer had contacted the chief reporter, saying that the Minister was keen that the statements should be reported and sent to the Press Association. The chief reporter had assigned a reporter, Bernard Carpinter, to telephone the Minister at the Southern Cross Hotel, where she had told the photographer she was staying and could be contacted. Mr Carpinter had rung the hotel late in the morning and the hotel receptionist had put him through to the Minister’s room. A woman had answered and Mr Carpinter had asked: “Is that Mrs Tirikatene-Sul-liyan?” She had replied: “Yes’"; and a telephone interview had taken place. The resultant story had been on the front page of the “Star" a few hours later. Mr Carpinter had retained the notes he had taken during the telephone interview and a copy of these had been subsequently given to the Prime Minister's Office. Silent Minister On September 6, the interview report had angered the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr J. G. Barnes) and the Town Clerk t.Mr D. M. Shirley) who had denied claims by the Minister that the Maori bookings had been changed or that Mr Shirley had spoken with Maori elders about the alleged change. Both Mr Barnes and Mr Shirley had expressed their anger and indignation on the telephone to the Minister, who had not at any stage questioned the correctness of the “Star" report, the newspaper said. On the next Monday, September 8. the "Star” had published a statement by Mr Barnes and Mr Shirley in which they had demanded an apology from the Minister. The ’ ‘Star" had telephoned the Minister’s office in Weiington for a statement on their demand and had been told that the Minister might make a statement later that

As well, the "Star" told - its Parliamentary reporter to approach the Minister for a statement, hut again without . success. The Minister had remained

silent on the issue until Friday, September* 19. almost, two weeks after her original statement had been when the Prime Minister (Mr Rowling) had told Parliament that the Minister had been interviewed by a radio reporter only concerning the Town Hall booking dispute. Integrity questioned. The "Star” had immedi- I ately said that this was simply not true and that its re port on September 6 had, been based on comments, made by the Minister on the' telephone to Mr Carpinter. The next day the “Star”| had telephoned the Minister at her Wellington home and; she had then denied having ■ an interview with Mr Carpinter, claiming that he must have spoken with someone else — not her, the I newspaper said. '

At this time, the Mayor ofi ; Dunedin had said that the| J Minister had made no such! denial when he and Mr Shir-! :; ley had spoken to her on! i September 6. On September 22, a lead-! i ing article in the “Star” had! said that its integrity had! been questioned and that the! Minister had to be prepared' to admit that she made a! ! statement to Mr Carpinter. I ’ Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivani had repeated her denial. On Tuesday the Minister! ■ had flown to Dunedin from! ‘Wellington with the Prime ’Minister’s press secretary! J and her husband. : They had met with the j Editor of the “Star” (Mr P. ’ ‘ T. Stewart), Mr Carpinter, 11

and Mr Woodhall, in an attempt to resolve the issue. ' However, both the "Star” :and the Minister had remained firm in their respective stances. The Minister, her husband, ’and Maori netball tourna>ment organisers, had then ’ met with Mr Barnes and Mr ’Shirley at the Town Hall. A sometimes-heated discussion had followed in which the Minister had repeated her interview denials! | and Mr Barnes had questioned her honesty. Yesterday the Minister ’had declared that she would refer the dispute to the ! Press Council and ask it to make its findings public.