M.P. will not go to meeting

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34129, 15 April 1976, Page 17

M.P. will not go to meeting

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, April 13. The member of Parliament for North Shore (Mr G. F. (Gair) has refused to hold a 1 public meeting to discuss the proposed visits of nuclear ships to New Zealand. He was approached by a group of Devonport residents who felt that the naval base would make their borough a 'certain venue for any such visits. They showed "him a petition with more than 1200 signatures collected in onlyfour days, expressing opposition to nuclear ships in densely populated areas. I The group also organised (a public opinion poll in Devonport. which resulted in 57 per cent of those questioned expressing opposition to nuclear ships. “Considering that 15 per cent refused to answer, this works out at about half of those who gave replies being against the plan.” said Cheryll Sotheran, one of the organisers, today. She said Mr Gair agreed to answer a series of questions put to him by the group when he had time to do research on them. He has also agreed to meet the delegation again. He told the group that he would not consider a public meeting as they requested, because in the past such meetings had not proved i fruitful.