Rangatira case is now public

Press, 18 September 1976, Page 1

Rangatira case is now public

The Canterbury Progress League had threatened last week to breach Parliamentary privilege by publishing its submissions supporting the retention of a Ranga-tira-type service. Such a threat is now needless. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon), sent the league a telegram on Tuesday, saying that he had no objection now to the submissions being made public, because the Select Committee dealing with the Rangatira case had reported back to Parliament. The league’s submission alleges that the Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan), was “beguiled” by the arguments of departmental officers. “The arguments advanced by the department have been facile, inaccurate and misleading.” This was unforgivable, in a matter' as important as the potential severing of

an essential communications link. It also criticised the Minister’s analysis, and his reply to earlier submissions.

This reply, “presumably the work of the Ministry of Transport,” was said to contain postulations that were “at best, thin in the extreme, often misleading, and in some cases completely false.” There was “a trite dismissal of the very many human problems,” which would result from a “badly-timed and ill-conceived” decision.

At a press conference yesterday, Mr McKenzie extended his remarks to include the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon). He quoted a Hansard report which said that five days before submissions were made to the Petitions Committee, Mr Muldoon had said that

they were a propaganda exercise. “I am concerned about this deliberate attempt by the Government to keep the people in ignorance of the facts, and mislead them on the situation.

“We were speaking on behalf of 34,000 South Islanders, and the Prime Minister called our submissions propaganda. This betokens the utmost ignorance of democracy in action, and. is an abrogation of the people’s right to have their representatives heard.”