Executive sacked

Press, 25 February 1977, Page 2

Executive sacked

PA Hamilton The entire Hillcrest branch executive of the Labour Party was sacked on Wednesday night after a heated meeting in Hamilton.

The sackings were the result of public criticism made last week by the branch chairman, Mr Ted Armstrong, of the bid by the former M.P. for Hamilton West (Mrs Dorothy Jelicich) for the Mangere by-election. The branch administration will be taken over by the Hamilton East Labour Electorate Committee until an annual meeting is held next month to elect new officers. Labour Party sources said yesterday that the electorate committee issued strict instructions to representatives at Wednesday’s meeting to remain silent over the issue. And Mr Armstrong, who last week said he would not be muzzled, would not discuss the matter yesterday. “It would be contravening the censure which was imposed on me last night. But I’m shocked and alarmed that others have spoken out publicly today,” said Mr Armstrong wlio has served the party for the last 22 years.

Party sources said there was a strong move to have Mr Armstrong expelled from the movement, but this was denied later by the electorate chairman. Mr Norman Kingsbury.

In a statement Mr Kingsbury said: “We discussed the whole matter of Mr Armstrong’s public statements concerning the Mangere byelection.

“Mr Armstrong acknowledged that he made the statements on his own behalf and without the authority of his branch of the L.E.C. He also recognised that the procedures laid down in the party constitution were not adhered to. “As a consequence Mr Armstrong has accepted the censure of the L.E.C. At the meeting Mr Armstrong expressed regret that his com-

ment had been interpreted as a personal attack on Mrs Jell- | cich. : “The affairs of the Hillcrest branch will be administered 1 by the L.E.C. until the annual ' meeting next month.” i Mr Kingsbury said there - were a number of things i about the branch which would be better handled by , the L.E.C/ He said the , branch was facing organise- ( tional problems. At Wednesday’s meeting, the seven Labour branches on , the east side of the river ' were represented. Mr Kingsbury said Mr Armstrong and his commit- , te« were perfectly entitled to , stand for re-election at next . month’s meeting. _ ,

“His membership of the party is entirely intact,” he said. The former Hamilton East M.P., Dr Anthony Rogers, who was at Wednesday’s meeting, said Mr Kingsbury was the only officer authorised to make statements. “He’s the only one who will make a statement to the media. We’re going to obey the rules. The whole incident has been blown up for the wrong reasons,” Dr Rogers said. Dr Rogers, who was one of the prime movers in the name suppression legislation when the Labour Party was in power, said: “It appears that names are news these days. We’ve decided that we’re going to be careful in what we say to the press in future. I wouldn’t want to comment on last night’s meeting—it doesn’t do any good.” The sackings followed the suspension earlier this week of the St Andrews branch secretary, Mr Gordon Batt. He. too, came into party disfavour after statements made' over Mrs Jelicich’s Mangere bid—his expulsion will be recommended to the party’s national council on March 18.