Sir Denis asked to overrule

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34151, 12 May 1976, Page 24

Sir Denis asked to overrule

fN.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 11. The GovernorGeneral (Sir Denis Blundell) was today formally requested by a trade union group to overrule the decision of the Attorney-General in stopping court action on the Superannuation Act. In a short informal ceremony at Government House the convener of the Combined Motor Unions (Mr P. Kelly), the secretary of the Wellington Trades Council (Mr K. Douglas) and the general secretary of the New Zealand Drivers’ Federation (Mr S. McClaffley) presented the petition and a covering letter. The petition of 278 signatures, according to Mr Kelly, represented “the collective opinions of the New Zealand trade union movement.” He said Mr Muldoon’s actions in “encouraging employers to ignore the law in so far as the Superannua-

tion Act is concerned” was “compounded further by the actions of your AttorneyGeneral in ordering a stay of prosecutions in the matter.” The petition said the right to recourse to the courts had been greatly endangered by the action. They called on the Governor-General, as the Queen’s representative, to overrule the action of Mr Wilkinson.

Sir Denis read the petition while the three unionists were present. “I am bound to say,” he said, “that my understanding of the position is that the Attorney-General was acting as a law officer in the administration of justice and as such I doubt that I have the power to overrule his actions.” However, Sir Denis said the matter would receive hjs full attention and it would be carefully investigated. In an interview after the ceremony Mr Kelly said he had been surprised by Sir Denis’s comment. He had not expected him to make any comment. However, he said he was pleased that the GovernorGeneral would look into the matter.