P.M. evasive to questions on tour issue

Press, 23 November 1976, Page 1

P.M. evasive to questions on tour issue

Pariiamentary reporter

The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) avoided questions last night about whether he would advise New Zealand sports bodies not to send teams to South Africa or invite visits from South African teams.

“They don’t come to see me, anyway,” he said. “They go to Brian Taiboys or Dave Highet (the Minister of Recreation and Sport).” He declined to make any further statement on the issue before Saturday night, when he will address “a group of sportsmen” in Hastings. “It is not my habit to become involved in something that is a Ministerial responsibility, unless the Minister asks me to,” said Mr Muldoon.

“The relevant point is that sporting bodies are free to decide. With the right to decide goes the duty to Consider the wider effects of that decision, whatever it may be.” Mr Muldoon also issued a prepared statement last evening which developed this view:

“In Cabinet today. Mr Taiboys told us of the deeply-held attitude of Africans to the indignity of racial policies such as apartheid. They consider the international campaign against sports contacts with South Africa an important part of their efforts against the apartheid system.

“Mr Taiboys told them that our basic policy on sports contacts was the sporting bodies must decide for themselves who to compete with, and we shall not depart from that. "As we have said many times now. with the right to decide goes the duty to consider the w'ider effects of those decisions. Our election-time policy, to which we adhere, is that we strongly believe in the responsibility and autonomy of sporting and recreational bodies. “Under a National Government there will be no political interference in sport in any form. Sporting organisations will be free to associate with any sporting groups from other countries — regardless of race, creed or internal politics.”