P.M. on world politics

Press, 22 July 1976, Page 10

P.M. on world politics

(NZPA Staff Correspondent) Hong Kong

The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) has named two .Socialists as world leaders he regards highly.

They are the West German Chancellor (Mr H. Schmidt) and the Singapore Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew). In an interview in the Hong Kong-published magazine, "Kaleidoscope,” Mr Muldoon was asked what international leader he admired most.

He said: “I think highly of Helmut Schmidt . . . he’s a realistic man. He has a balanced approach and is highly intelligent and has a great deal of personal political courage.’’

Mr Muldoon said that Dr

Lee headed probably the most effective Government in the British Commonwealth.

"Again he is a realist. He is a hard man in terms of the requirements of Singapore, but underneath it a man of vast understanding and intellect and totally dedicated to the future of his country.”

Mr Muldoon said he did not see the National Party as a Right wing party in the international sense.

“It’s hard to make a clear statement on this, but I think New Zealand politics are somewhat similar in European terms to the mainstream of German politics,” he said. “The New Zealand National Party would perhaps be the equivalent of the (opposition) Christian Democrats in Ger-

many, but certainly not a Right wing party in the international sense.”

In terms of American politics, the National Party would be “slightly to the Left of the Democrats, I think.” But Mr Muldoon said he did not think he would be aligned with any particular politician if he were in the United States.

“I don’t think I’d align with any of them because they are rather different from our approach,” he said. “And indeed the party system in the United States is quite different from that in New Zealand—the politics are much more personal in the United States, where in the one party you have people across the whole spectrum of political philosophy."