P.M. ’clarifies issues’

Press, 17 November 1976, Page 6

P.M. ’clarifies issues’

By

KEN COATES

Gordon Dryden’s interview of the Prime Minister on TV2 j last night was a thumping' example of the best of Muldoonery. He insisted he was a libr "al: went into the attack on, the “Moyle affair” dismissed editorial criticism by “The, Press' and the “New Zealand Herald:’ alleged the questions used in a public opinion poll' were loaded, said he never Mt out to be a respecter of persons: alleged bias in the presentation of critical findings by a poll, told the interviewer to stop interrupting, and challenged his basis for assessing productivity. The interview was an exercise m what the Prune Minister called “clarifying issues." He used this term when asked whether he ac-; cepted criticism of polarising people. “1 will state issues so people will know which side they are on, and sole accordingly. ’ he said The whole interview was an extension of this statement Drvden set out to review the period of almost a year in which Mr Muldoon has been Prime Minister. Mr Muldoon s responses to the questions were certainly self-revealing, and viewers either went along with his

■claim that your average New

Zealand bloke says, “Carry on Rob. you’re not doing too i badly,” or strongly disagreed with his style, attitudes, methods, and policies. For the most part the programme made good, lively television. Questions were j topical, and the exchange on the “Moyle affair” put be-| yond doubt precisely where) Mr Muldoon stands. There may be some view-' ers who look on an interview! of this nature as a chance) for yet another cheeky tele-J vision interviewer to get at: ■the Prime Minister. But this view overlooks the j central fact that a television programme is about the only! means of ensuring that the! ■ Prime Minister, or any politi-; cian. remains accountable to the public. Both Mr Muldoon and Mr Dryden are strong personalities. But of course Mr Mui-; ) doon, with the weight of his) office, frequently held the! ’ whip hand. ! By emphasising Mr Moyle’s • allegations about his company. an attack which he described as damaging to 75 ’ 1 vears of professional integrity 1 by a man who was just a transient politician, the Prime 1 Minister took the offensive. The Prime Minister j pointedly asked the inter- ; viewer whether he planned to

interview Mr Moyle, and whether the same “loaded questions” about his allegations would be asked people. Mr Muldoon at no stage claimed to be popular, understanding, or respectful when the results of poll questions were shown.

There was some sparring over the selection of extracts from the polls, and the Prime Minister alleged that Mr Dryden was not entitled to leave out the favourable sections and “set out the bad bits to put me down.” This was bias, he said, "but then I don’t expect much else as this is supposed to be an attacking programme.”

The Prime Minister for his part ensured he did his share of attacking. Mr Muldoon was predictably thoroughly at home with inflation rates, exports, imports, productivity, balance of payments, and borrowing. In television terms, the interview tended to slump, as I the Prime Minister repeatedly , told the interviewer not to .interrupt while he spelled out | his explanations. Politically, he scored, making predictions, disagreeing with Treasurv experts, expounding his economic policy, and generally demonstrating those accounting qualities which no doubt influenced a good many worried people to vote for him.