Minister conceals source of document

Press, 22 October 1976, Page 1

Minister conceals source of document

PA Wellington The Minister of Labour (Mr Gordon) said he personally knew the man who had posted him a copy of a document purporting to be ground rules for Communist revolution. Speaking after a caucus meeting yesterday, Mr Gordon said he had received the photostat copy about six weeks ago and used it in an antiCommunist speech in Auckland this week. The Minister refused to name the correspondent, saying only that “he was a prominent citizen and outstanding member of the community." Mr Gordon had earlier said he asked his press office to prepare a release which would help authenticate the material he used in his speech. This would probably be available today.

Material was arriving through the mail “by the hour.” It was coming from all over the country and there was one letter from Australia.

Particularly strong evidence was contained in letters from editors of two New Zealand newspapers, he said. He was not prepared to name them.

The response to Tuesday night’s “Rules for Communist revolution” speech by Mr Gordon had been overwhelmingly favourable, Ministerial spokesmen said.

“We’ve been on the phone all day, and 10 telegrams and seven letters commenting on the speech have arrived,” a spokesman said. The letters were all favourable, but one telegram and several phone calls disapproved of the speech, in which Mr Gordon outlined eight rules for Communist revolution allegedly captured by Allied troops in 1910.