'Faux pas’ recalled

Press, 14 October 1976, Page 6

'Faux pas’ recalled

From 1

LES BLOXHAM in Suva

New Zealand’s Prime Minister had come a long way “since his celebrated faux pas in May when he contemptuously dismissed the new nations of the South Pacific as eight islands together with 7000 people and lots of coconut that nobody wants.” said an editorial in the "Fiji Times” yesterday.

Commenting on Mr Muldoon’s address at the opening of the South Pacific Bureau of Economic Co-operation in Suva on Tuesdav, the editorial said: ‘The Island leaders would no doubt be glad to hear that New Zealand had finally made up its mind that it belongs to the South Pacific and is not an outpost of Europe. "Mr Muldoon may be forgiven for turning his eyes to Europe when he first took office, especially in view of the special relationship that ha, existed between New Zealand and Britain.

“Although Mr Muldoon made no direct reference to the increasing Russian and Chinese interest in the region, this was obviously a strong factor influencing New Zealand’s decision to identify itself with the Pacific people.” said the editorial. The newspaper, regarded as the official Government mouthpiece, said that Mr Muldoon’s call for more frequent meetings of the South L

Pacific Forum would find a great deal of support among the Island leaders.

Commenting on Mr Muldoon’s remarks on immigration, the editorial said Stat his explanation of his Government’s policy was far too vague to satisfy the Island people. A clearer definition than “an orderly movement that would meet everybody’s wishes” was called for if Island people were to have a true appreciation of it.

"A gross distortion, amounting to defamation,” replied Mr Muldoon when asked at his press conference last evening to comment on the editorial.

Mr Muldoon said: “I intend asking the editor of the ‘Fiji Times' whether it is his normal practice to greet visitors the way he treated me this morning.

“It was a distortion amounting to defamation — I only assume he did not know it was a gross distortion of a remark I made in Paris last year.”

Although he asserted that the comment was defamatory, Mr Muldoon said he did not intend to take further action.

“I have not got time to worry about things like that,” he told the reporter from the opposition “Fiji Sun,” who raised the matter.