Privileges cases

Press, 4 August 1976, Page 4

Privileges cases

PA Wellington

Parliament’s Privileges Committee will meet today to decide what procedures to adopt in the three privileges cases that have arisen in Parliament this year.

The Under-Secretary for Trade and Industry (Mr K. R. Allen), the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling), and the Labour front bencher, Mr C. J. Moyle (Mangere) have all had prima facie breach of privileges charges found against them by the Speaker (Sir Roy Jack). In addition, Sir Roy had been asked to rule on two other claims of breached privileges, both of which he dismissed. Last year, the then Leader of the Opposition (Mr Muldoon) and a Wellington nightclub owner, Carmen, were both called before the committee. The committee will decide whether it will call the three members before it, ask for written submi*-

sions, or merely decide on the basis of the Speaker’s decision. The committee’s powers are theoretically unlimited. It has the power to send to prison persons found guilty of breaching privilege. Last year, Carmen, who said he knew members of Parliament who were homosexual and others who were bisexual had an apology accepted by the committee. The committee decided that Mr Muldoon, who had criticised the former Speaker, the late Sir Stanley Whitehead, should be “appropriately censured” — a decision which caused some confusion, but apparently meant that each individual member was to decide for himself how he should censure Mr Muldoon.

Today, the Privileges Committee — comprising Mr Muldoon, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr MacIntyre) acting in the absence of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Taiboys), the Minister of Justice (Mr

Thomson), the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) and his deputy, Mr Tizard—will elect a chairman and decide on proceedings. The chairman has traditionally been the Minister of Justice. If the committee decides to call individual members before it, Mr Rowling will step down for his case and another Opposition nominee will replace him.