No breach by National M.P.

Press, 15 September 1976, Page 3

No breach by National M.P.

PA Wellington, Mr M. J. Minogue (Nat., Hamilton West) did not com-' mit any breach of Parliament tary privilege when he made; public activities of the Par- i liamentary Road Safety Com-, mittee. Reporting the Privileges Committee’s decision on the case to Parliament yesterday. the Minister of Justice (Mr Thomson) said the matter might have constituted a. minor and technical breach of privilege. But the committee had been told that a practice had, developed over the years ini the Road Safety Committee.' that its chairman would ■ 'from time to time make pub-i 'lie statements, in line with a [Standing Order of Parha-i j ment.

■ The statements 'were made I in view of special public interest, and a need for public [debate on inquiries made by [the committee. ; These statements, said Mr [Thomson, had usually been [authorised or endorsed by' the committee. He said the article com-! plained of—in which Mr Minogue, as chairman of the safety committee, explained the committee’s work—concerned a visit to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Gracefield to which the news meuia had been admitted, i “The Committee of [Privilege suggests that the ■ disclosure of the matters ’contained in the article he endorsed by the Road Safetv . Committee at its next meet’ .ing,” said Mr Thomson,