Policy tied by pledge — P.M.

Press, 13 July 1976, Page 1

Policy tied by pledge — P.M.

The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) made it clear last night that he believes the Government would have broken its election promise if it had discouraged the New Zealand Rugby Football Union from proceeding with the All Black tour of South Africa.

Answering questions at a press conference, he said that for the Government to have adopted an attitude of discouragement it would have had to break one of its election promises—“and we don’t operate that way."

Had the Government adopted a policy of discouragement this could have besn taken as interference in the affairs of sports organisations.

“You don’t change in midstream on these things,” he said.

The Government was not discussing the Olympic issue with any other governments; it was leaving the Olympic officials to deal with matters involving sport as they arose. “We’re keeping this very much in separate departments.”

Explaining remarks he made earlier in the day when he said it could be poetic justice if the Olympic Games did not take place in Moscow in 1980, Mr Muldoon said he did not believe the boycott of New Zealand was Russian inspired.

But Russia’s influence was strong on the African continent. “They’ve done pretty well through decolonisation in Africa.” Mr Muldoon said he believed Chinese influence in Tanzania was waning. “We know the badminton decision was aimed at African opinion ... it

was a rather pathetic Sort of gesture.” The Prime Minister said he would be very sorry if New Zealand was expelled from the Games, and added that the future of the modern Olympics was in balance. New Zealand could hardly be more audibly opposed to apartheid, he said.

Mr Muldoon said he was taking an interest in the All Black tour on a “personal basis.” If the Springboks were to come to New Zealand he would be in the stands cheering the All Blacks.

New Zealand would fight any attempt by African countries to have it banned from the Games, Mr C. L. S. Cross, the country’s representative on the International Olympic Committee said in Montreal yesterday.

New Zealand had no intention of withdrawing from the Games, and would resist any effort to have it expelled.

Mr Cross said Lord Killanin, the 1.0. C. president, had had no communication on the subject of expelling New Zealand.

Any motion put at today’s meeting of the 1.0. C. seeking to have New Zealand expelled might well be ruled out of order by Lord Killanin.

Bruce Kohn, a staff correspondent of the Press Association, writes from Wellington that, in addition to Tanzania and Mauritius, countries likely to withdraw from the Games because of New Zealand’s presence include Zambia, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Analysts of proceedings at the meeting of the O.A.U. at Mauritius say the attitude adopted by Tanzania at the meeting indicated it would take a “hard line” on the boycott issue.

Other countries which reflected strong sympathy for the Tanzanian attitude at the meeting included Nigeria, Zambia, and Ethiopia.