Westport man gets support

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33987, 30 October 1975, Page 2

Westport man gets support

(from Our Own Reporter) WESTPORT, October 28. An attack by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (Mr Tizard) on one of Westport’s leading citizens, Mr Peter Roselli, on the TVI “Tonight at Nine” programme, has drawn much criticism throughout the Buller district.

Mr Roselli, a promin-' ent member of the National Party, had served ten years as a trustee on the Westland Savings Bank board last May when Mr Tizard decided not to nominate him for a further term. Mr Roselli’s term ended a few days after he had been unanimously elected as bank president, a position the Labour M.P., Mr P. Blanchfield, now holds. His "sacking” has caused a controversy in Westport. So much so, that Mr Tizard is having trouble finding someone to fill the vacancy on the board. Earlier this week the bank opened its new $120,000 Westport branch without any ceremony, although the board plans to meet in Westpor# for the first time next Monday and has invited Mr and Mrs Roselli to lunch with it. Not confirmed "Tonight at Nine” examined the reasons behind the lack of an opening ceremony for the bank and interviewed Mr Roselli and Mr Tizard. The programme recounted the history of the affair, and the interviewer asked Mr Tizard why he was taking so long to appoint someone to replace Mr Roselli.

The Minister would not confirm that Mrs Vera Grey, a leading Labour Party official at Westport had refused nomination because she felt Mr Roselli was the right person for the job. Mr Tizard said that there was not a lot of support for Mr Roselli, and said he was not going to be pressured by a lot of “tin-pot Tories.” “Judging by the public reaction to my sacking, there are more than a few tin-pot

Tories involved,” Mr Roselli said yesterday. “Even Mr Blanchfield was upset when my term was not extended after I was elected president, and I understand he and other board members made representations in support of me,” His telephone was “red hot” on Tuesday night after Mr Tizard’s remarks. ‘Respected citizen’ i “Many people, some of : them Labour supporters, are ! not taking the matter • lightly.” “At least one couple teleI phoned Television One and ; told the people there that Mr I Tizard had just lost two 1 Labour votes. “Another told them that ‘Buller goes National now.’ I “I would be interested to , know from Mr Tizard why I j don’t measure up, and why I I’m not representative of the . community,” Mr Roselli said. I During the interview Mr . Tizard said that he was about to appoint a farmer who lived near Westport to the ■ post. j Asked to comment yester- ’ day, the Mavor of Westport 1 (Mr W. A. Craddock) said: “Mr Roselli is a highly reI spected citizen of Westport, . and is held in high regard by , both political parties.” , The county chairman (Mr W. J. Mumm) said the TVI interview was bad publicity for the district.