Muldoon-Minogue talks, and work by M.P.s, may spell end of row

Press, 15 September 1977, Page 1

Muldoon-Minogue talks, and work by M.P.s, may spell end of row

By

DEREK ROUND,

NZPA political correspondent in Wellington

The Muldoon-Minogue row might he cooling down after behind-the-scenes efforts at peace-making by fellow members of Parliament anxious to stop the rift between the Prime Minister and the controversial backbencher

widening

The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Taiboys) said after an hour-long meeting he had with Mr Minogue late yesterday afternoon: “I hope and expect he will be at caucus tomorrow.” Mr Taiboys was reluctant to say much about the peacemaking efforts — as was Mr Minogue — but he indicated some progress had been made at their meeting.

Mr Muldoon said last evening: ‘‘Mr Taiboys has called him in and given him a bit of advice which I think he might well take.” The Prime Minister did not say what the advice was.

A special Government caucus meeting called by Mr Muldoon for yesterday morning to discuss the Minogue affair and hear the Hamilton West M.P.’s explanation of his television interview on the 5.1.8. bill which sparked off the row was cancelled after Mr Minogue refused to attend — and went off to a National Roads Board meeting instead. Government members trooped into the caucus room at 8.30 a.m. only to come out again five minutes later when they were told Mr Minogue would not be there.

The regular weekly meeting of the Government caucus will be held this morning. Mr Minogue would not say whether he would attend.

“Responsible people are trying to achieve a reasonable resolution of this situation and I will do or say nothing that will prejudice those efforts,” he said. “To do so would be quite irresponsible on my part.

“I appreciate the fact the efforts are being made and I don’t want to say anything that could be misconstrued to prejudice what’s going on.” Mr Minogue talked to Mr Muldoon late on Tues-

day night at a meeting arranged by the chief Government Whip (Mr W. F. Birch). But the Prime Minister told a news conference yesterday that the dispute between them had not been resolved. “I think he wants to resolve the issue,” Mr Muldoon said. “Naturally, we do.”

Mr Muldoon said Mr Minogue had given him an explanation of his TV comments, but the Prime Minister would not go into detail on their discussion.

The matter was now one between Mr Minogue and his colleagues, he said. “I would hope it can be resolved in such a way that Mr Minogue becomes once again a normal member of the Government team.” Mr Muldoon said. Asked if he wanted Mr Minogue in the National Party, he replied: “I want a National Party member for Hamilton West and I guess he’s as good as anyone.”

Mr Minogue, a lawyer and former Mayor of Hamilton, won the seat from Labour with,a majority of 2089 in the 1975 election.

Asked if Mr Minogue had indicated he was considering taking legal action against him over comments the Prime Minister made about his TV interview, Mr Muldoon replied: “No.” And asked if Mr Minogue intended resigning, he answered: “Not to my knowledge.”

Mr Minogue told journalists that any comments about possible legal action were likely to do more harm than good. And he said his resignation had “never been a possibility.” He said he had received many expressions of support from throughout the country, “But I don’t get carried away by that.” Mr Minogue said: “It’s a time to be pretty sober and make sound judgments.” The National Party presi-

dent (Mr G. A. Chapman) was reluctant to discuss the affair when he came out of a National Party policy committee meeting in Mr Muldoon’s office yesterday. He said the matter was “nurely between Mr Minogue and Mr Muldoon.”

But Mr Chapman is believed to be concerned about Mr Muldoon’s sharp attack on Mr Minogue, according to political sources.

Many National Party electorate officials and members are reported to have supported Mr Minogue’s stand in calls and telegrams to their M.P.’s.

Many Government M.P.s, including Ministers, are reoorted to be refusing to take sides in the row. Mr Muldoon said last evening that he had not talked to Mr Minogue during the day and did not know if he would attend today’s caucus.

"But I think he probably will,” he said.

“He’s had time to think about it a little more quietly than perhaps he did earlier, but we’ll see.” The Prime Minister said most of the letters and telegrams he had had from the public supported his comments “generally” and another group had specifically criticised the TV programme on the S.LS. "Another group said I’d been unkind to Mr Minogue who is really a very nice man,” he added. Members of Mr Minogue’s National Party branch may be prepared to back him as an independent candidate if he is barred from the Government caucus.

The branch chairman, Mr Don Wilson, said in Hamilton yesterday: “I don’t know what chance an independent might have in Hamilton, but if anyone has got a chance — he has."

Mr Muldoon may try to convince the caucus to “remove the whip” from Mr Minogue.

This would make him an outsider, unable to attend caucus meetings and unable to receive the flow of Government information and legislative plans. But Mr Minogue would become an independent voice in the House.

He would have a platform from which to criticise Government legislation and Mr Muldoon’s actions, free from the restrictions traditionally imposed by caucus. It would also give Mr Minogue a platform to fight for the Hamilton West seat as an independent candidate. The Hamilton Lake branch executive met on Tuesday to agree on the letter to Mr Minogue. “We’ve got complete confidence in his integrity and I’m pretty sure the rank and file of the electorate are ready to support him,” said Mr Wilson. “A lot of individuals are expressing their support privately.”