P.M. accused of personal attacks

Press, 14 March 1978, Page 6

P.M. accused of personal attacks

PA Wellington The Labour Party’s general’ aecretary (Mr J. A. Wybrow) yesterday accused the Prime. Minister (Mr Muldoon) of making a personal attack on tne Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) and the party’s; spokesman on trade and in-i dustry (Mr Freer) in his-week-end address on trade relations with Japan. Mr Muldoon had accused the Labour Party of being ‘Spineless” in its attitude to| trade with Japan. “The defeatist and critical! statements of Wallace Row- 1 ling and his colleague. Warren Freer, have not gone unnoticed bv the Japanese,’’ he said. Mr Rowling and Mr Freer, both hit back at the Prime Minister on Sunday and Mr' Wybrow joined the fray: yesterday. He accused Mr Muldoon of "Mindless rantings. ravings, insinuations, i and deliberate gutter politics. "At a time when politics are at a low ebb he should be displaying leadership qualities, self-restraint, and above all, the ability to curb; an acrid tongue.

“Mr Muldoon has sys-i tematically set about dividing the community since he be-i gan his successful bid for power in 1974. In pursuit of| his own selfish ends, he has by - passed , conventional; methods, trampled on any ! body m the way, and pulled! politics down onto its lowestever plank.” Mr Wybrow said. "His periodic outbursts ■ can be pinpointed to the; times when he cannot get his [own way. In 1974, when he[ failed to control his own 'conference and get his own, wav, he lashed out at the! Prime Minister of the day, | Norman Kirk, and accused | him of political cowardice. ' "And now, when he has, again failed to achieve mastery of the National Party. he has launched) another personal attack on aj ! Labour leader. “I can only fervently hope! jthat the National Party! hierarchy can bridle the i Prime Minister’s tongue for! a change. He will have to come to grips with the situation that his party selections ; will not always go the way ' he wants it.

“His first obligation is to restore politics to its rightful level in the community. While it may suit his style to have the community divided on virtually every major topic, it does not help the community to be tearing itself apart.

"Politics and politicians must assume a leadership role, respond to the needs of the community, legislate for the good of the community, and most of all, reflect all that is godd in the community,” Mr Wybrow said. The National Party’s president (Mr G. A. Chapman) said in Christchurch yesterday that Mr Muldoon’s style was well known.

“He was dealing specifically with the Japanese issue at the time he made the remarks to which Mr Wybrow takes exception and he was speaking to a party luncheon,” Mr Chapman said. “I believe that in those circumstances, he was entitled to draw attention to the difference in stance between himself and leaders in the Labour Party, and I read nothing more into it than that.”