P.M.'s confidence in Sir Keith

Press, 26 May 1977, Page 6

P.M.'s confidence in Sir Keith

PA WELLINGTON The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon ) believes that the Governor-General-designate. Sir Keith Holyoake, will perform his duties “impeccably.’'

Speaking during the Ad-dress-in-Reply debate in Parliament last evening. Mr Muldoon praised the contribution the retiring GovernorGeneral (Sir Denis Blundell) and Lady Blundell had made to New Zealand life. “They both carried out their duties admirably, and they have won the affection of people from one end of the country to the other.” Mr Muldoon said. “I say without hesitation that Sir Keith and Lady Holyoake will carry on the impeccable tradition of the GovernorsGeneral of New Zealand.” Earlier, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) had described the appointment of Sir Keith as a “breach of tradition and good sense which will not be emulated by the incoming Labour Government.”

Mr Muldoon began his speech by observing that Mr Rowling “was back on the right side of the House, although I am not sure in the right seat.” Declaring that Labour found out only when it went into Opposition that lowerpaid people were hard up, Mr Muldoon pointed out that Labour had said in its 1975 Budget that it was going to “out” subsidies.

“But the mistake they made was they did not say by how much.” The Government had doubled the price of milk but it was still the cheapest milk in the world. Mr Muldoon said. New Zealanders were subsidising milk to the extent of $2O a head a year The price it was being sold bottled, delivered to the gate, was less than its cost to the farmer . . . “so it would have paid him to feed his calves on bottled milk, if he could hare got it.” Mr Muldoon accused Mr Rowling of “shedding crocodile tears” for lower-paid people but doing nothing for them when Labour was in office. The Government had tried to adjust the economy Without too much pain to any section of the communitv.

“We spent 18 months [cleaning up the messes left [by the Labour Government,” Mr Muldoon said. Mr Rowling had been “an ,eternal optimist — an eternal [Micawber” who had never i got round to doing anything I but was always waiting for [something to turn up. [ “But nothing did tum up,” said Mr Muldoon.

Mr Muldoon also said he ihad greatly enjoyed last [week’s Labour Party conference. It showed that Labour 'had the Federation of Labour [on one side, and the Left [wing intellectuals on the [other, but nobody in the I middle.

Mr Rowling, after his comiments on the appointment of iSir Keith Holyoake as Governor-General, expressed his “joy” at the recent visit to New Zealand by the Queen and said he believed her visit had unified the faith of New Zealanders in the Commonwealth, “at a time when reunification was necessary.”

; An interjector: Better ask [your Deputy Leader (Mr Tizard). He’s not too happy about it (the visit).

I Mr Rowling accused Government members of raising [the “bogy of nationalisation” [since the Labour Party conference. They had hastened Ito “rekindle the campaign of fear and prejudice” against democratic socialism. Yet Mr [Muldoon had said in an interview that two of the world 'leaders he respected most (were the West German Chanicellor (Mr Helmut Schmidt) and Singapore’s Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew), both leaders of democratic socialist parties. As Mr Rowling went on to talk about democratic socialism. Mr Muldoon interjected: “I think he’s a recent convert.” The alternative to democratic socialism, said Mr Rowling, was domination by financial interests — and the Labour Party rejected this l absolutely.