A chance for the chosen

Press, 24 May 1977, Page 2

A chance for the chosen

By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY

Two of the younger members of Parliament will have their chance to emerge from the back-bench wilderness tonight — even to making a lasting impression which may lead to higher places in the political world. They are Government members, now in their second year, who have been chosen by their leader to move and second the motion that a loyal address be offered the Governor-General in reply to his Speech from the Throne. Behind this hallowed piece of Parliamentary procedure comes a debate which will keep Parliament occupied, especially during evening sessions, for the next two or three weeks. Royalty will be mentioned, but the main object of this set debate is to give members who want to speak a chance to do so. They can generalise as much as they want, jump on any bandwaggon, or, as many have done in the past, speak at length about their electorate, its beauties, its

- aspirations and its problems. s Their audience is theoretically nationwide. 1 The mover (Mr A. Frieds lander, New Plymouth) will » rise soon after the House reI sumes at 7.30 p.m. and will ’ speak for perhaps 45 minutes. He will be followed by t the seconder (Mr R. Austin, • Awarua). II Irrespective of what they 3 say, the mere fact that they 1 have been chosen is an indies cation of their success in >11976, and in the committee--1 work which has been Parliament’s main task so far this e year. e The mover and seconder 1 of last year’s Address-in-I. Reply debate were Mr J. ? McLay (Birkenhead) and r Miss Colleen Dewe (Lyttels ton). a ft is expected that both s young men will wear formal t attire when they speak. This is one of the party s differences, albeit a tiny one. i Labour’s movers and seconds ers have long reverted to , “businessmen’s suiting” for r such an occasion. s Mr Freidlander, who is

. 32, will talk about the - economy, agriculture, housing and energy. He has been described by 1 Mr Muldoon as “not as flam- - boyant as some, but not 1 dull. He has a good political - head, and is not slow off the y mark.” Already he has led , the New Zealand delegation to the Commonwealth Youth / Conference in Jamaica, y where he faced a hostile . group of African delegates i on the sports issue. Mr Friedlander believes it . will be a long time before 5 the New Zealand image is fully restored. He himself r believes in Government dis- . suasion from sporting contact with South Africa but j without force. Mr Austin, the seconder, says that he may be the first h Maori to have had a leading I role in the Address-in-Reply 5 debate. He is a Southland y farmer, aged 45, and will i. speak on agriculture, fishing, human rights and Maori 5 affairs. r Since he entered Parliament he has taken a keen s interest in Island affairs. He

toured the South Pacific last year with the Luxton committee, looking for possible investment opportunities for New Zealand industry. He is a member of the Island Affairs select committee, and believes that every member of that committee should gather in as much Pacific knowledge as possible.