‘Untrue’ says Mayor

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33965, 4 October 1975, Page 7

‘Untrue’ says Mayor

f.V.Z. Press Association) DUNEDIN. Statements made by the Minister of Tourism (Mrs TirikateneSullivan) in Parliament relating to Town Hall bookings were “absolutely untrue,” the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr Barnes) said.

Speaking from Timaru where he is attending a meeting of the executive of the Municipal Association, Mr Barnes said that he would give a complete denial that there had ever been a booking made for the main Town Hall. Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan said in Parliament that the Town Hall booking clerk telephoned the netball club, and asked it to call to discuss an arrangement. Three persons had called on the officer, and had been told that they could not lay tables as had previously been agreed. “That is absolutely untrue,” Mr Barnes said. "At no stage were they ever promised. I give a complete denial that there was ever a booking made for the main Town Hall. “The correspondence with the Maori community and

their replies are open for public inspection.” Mr Barnes also took exception to remarks made in Parliament by the Minister about the “slanted interpretation” in a report in the “Evening Star.” “I spoke to Mrs TirikateneSullivan for at least 10 minutes—it have been quarter of an hour—and we referred to that article. At no stage did she say that the article was not true,” Mr Barnes said. The Dunedin Town Clerk (Mr D. M. Shirley) said that the meeting referred to by Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan in Parliament yesterday was on August 25, after the organisers of the tournament had confirmed the precise details of their bookings for the week-end which included only the Concert Chamber for the Friday night, and had paid the hire charges. The meeting was called at the request of the Town Hall custodian to discuss problems which he could foresee arising from the numbers attending the dinner in the Town Hall on the Saturday night. Mr Shirley said that at this meeting it emerged that the caterter for the organisers who had not made the bookings had hoped to lay out the tables in the Town Hall on the Friday night in preparation for the dinner on Saturday night. “It was pointed out to her that this would not be possible because the Town Hall had not been booked by the organisers for the' Friday night, and had in fact been hired by the National Party. “The meeting on August 25 was 11 days before the weekend of the tournament. The organisers were well aware of the position at all times. “As the Mayor and I have repeatedly said, the evidence of the bookings is in writing for anyone to see,” Mr Shirley said.