Mr Rowling wants ‘stench’ out of N.Z. politics

Press, 8 April 1978, Page 2

Mr Rowling wants ‘stench’ out of N.Z. politics

PA Wellington i The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) yester•lday vowed to “get rid of i'some of the stench in-poli-tics that ought not to be there.” “People want to see a i;code of decency in the political arena,” he said. Mr Rowling returned to I his desk in Parliament House yesterday for the first time since the death of his daughter, Kim. aged 18. a week ago. Talking to members of the Parliamentary

press gallery, he spoke quietly but firmly about his decision to stay in politics in the wake of his family tragedy. “Whatever might be in people’s minds, I won’t be quitting." Mr Rowling said. “I have talked it over with my family and we cannot contemplate the idea of turning our backs on what we have fought for and what we believe in.” Mr Rowling added: “They want me to go on and I believe I should go on. I owe it to them.” He thought he also owed it to the Labour movement and the thousands of people who had sent messages to him and his family. “I want to rededicate myself in the oolitical world to get rid of some of the stench in politics that ought; not to be there, and which

New Zealanders don’t want," i Mr Rowling said. After thanking the news media for the sensitivity they had shown to his fam- " ily, he asked "those in the news media who want to L climb into the ring of sensationalism, including cartoonists, to pause and reflect ' before they use their skills "jin an effort to belittle and demean . . . that their target . can be a great deal wider than the target they are try-j qing to put down.” , Mr Rowling said he didi not mind hard politics, butj ! politicians should get on I with the issues. “Let us stop kicking! ipeople," he said. This was the instruction 1

he would be giving Labour candidates for the General Election at their conference in Wellington next week. Asked if he had come close to giving politics away during the last week, Mr Rowling said quietly: "You come close to giving a lot away.” But he added: “We came to a very firm family view on what ought to happen. It would be so pointless to turn our back on the whole thing now.” When a reporter asked; him if any further consid- i eration had been given to| publication of the full report! on .he “Moyle affair” —I which he had been due toi discuss with the Prime Min-1 ister (Mr Muldoon) at the meeting when he teamed of his daughter’s death — Mr Rowling said it had not. Asked if he thought it should be allowed to “fade away,” he replied: “Yes.” Mr Rowling added: “It is time politicians got on with the business of politics in this country.” Mr Rowling will resume a busy schedule of public meetings in Christchurch on Tuesday. He will return to [Wellington for the Labour, candidates’ meeting, and I then speak at Masterton the Inext week. I This will be followed by meetings at Rotorua and Taupo before the Federation of Labour’s conference at Wellington on May 3.