The Moyle report: harassment given as one reason for full release

Press, 13 April 1978, Page 1

The Moyle report: harassment given as one reason for full release

Mr C. J. Moyle has broken his silence on the report of the affair which sent him into the political wilderness more than a year ago.

The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) announced yesterday that Sir Alfred North’s report would be published on Monday and gave four reasons for this, one of which related to what he called a “campaign of harassment” against his daughter and son-in-law. Mr Moyle said last eventhat the report would include remarks he had made about the "National Party dirty tricks brigade,” reports the Press Association. At the time of his encounter with the police, he said in a TV2 interview, he was investigating allegations that certain senior police officers were involved. Mr Moyle said he had suspected the Assistant Commissioner 'of Police (Mr R. J. Walton) of being involved, but had since accepted his assurance that he was not, adding: “And 1 have no evidence to the contrary."

Mr Moyle said there “was nothing at all” in the report that was not already known, as far as he was concerned. He told his interviewer: •'Frankly. 1 would like the whole thing ended, as far

as the people of New Zealand are concerned, knowing that what was done was an injustice, and something that wasn’t right and 1 believe that my candidacy for Whangarei will show the people that is the situation.” Asked why he had misled Parliament and his colleagues, Mr Moyle said: “Well, Sir Alfred did not actually find that — there might be some inference to that effect. “Let me say this, that everything I said to Parliament and everything I said to Sir Alfred were the absolute truth. "And my account to Parliament and my account to Sir Alfred are entirely complementary and certainly not contradictory.” Mr Moyle said the report would contain the “unexpurgated” version of the job sheet of the undercover policeman with whom he was involved in an incident in Wellington in June, 1975. “I had no opportunity to challenge it,” he said. “It is his version, and let me tell you it is a very onesided version.” When the interviewer suggested that Mr Movie had changed his story on at least two occasions, he

replied: “Let tne make it clear, I really changed it on only one occasion. “I was faced with a situation where I was investigating an allegation that certain senior police officers were involved in the National Party dirty tricks brigade. Now, I had to provide at least some reason to the police why 1 was actually in that place at that time, and I sidestepped the issue because I didn’t want to inform them that I was in fact investigating the possibility that they themselves were involved in such activities.” Mr Muldoon said earlier, this week that he would recommend to the Cabinet that the full report be published unless Mr Moyle withdrew and apologised for remarks made about Sir Alfred North end the inquiry. However, as far as is known, the Cabinet has not met since then. Mr Muldoon also called on the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) to dissociate himself from Mr Moyle’s comments. Last evening, after Mr Muldoon had announced his decision. Mr Rowling Said: “My only comment is that I have nothing further to say on the matter.” Mr Muldoon, at a news conference yesterday, gave several reasons for publishing the full report. “The'first is that Sir Alfred North originally suggested this course in order that he be cleared of the suggestion that he was seriously unwell at the time of the inquiry and that he found fault with the order of reference. “The second is that Mr Moyle has not only not withdrawn his allegations and apologised to Sir Alfred but his subsequent

statement of regret simply underlines his comments, as has clearly been seen by Sir Alfred himself, who has communicated this fact to the SolicitorGeneral. “My third reason is that it has been suggested to the news media, and clearly from Labour Party sources, that there is something in the report derogatory to the National Party or the Government. The public should have the opportunity of judging this for itself.

“My fourth reason is personal. During the last week, in spite of comments about the ‘stench’ in New Zealand politics, the Labour member, Mr Prebble, abetted by certain elements in the news media, has conducted a campaign of harassment against my daughter and son-in-law. Neither of them has told any lies, broken any laws, or failed to abide by any of the rules that have been administered by successive Governments. “The release of this report might cause the Leader of the Opposition to look once more into his own backyard.

“Finally, certain newspapers have quite unfairly suggested that this report was likely to be held over Mr Moyle’s head in the future. If it is released, no such suggestion can be made and the public can be left to judge the truth of the matter.”

Although Mr Muldoon said on Monday' that lie would recommend to the Cabinet that the full report be published if Mr Moyle did not apologise, there 'has been, as far as is known, no meeting of the full Cabinet since then. The Minister of Justice (Mr Thomson), replying to questions, said that Mr Muldoon had not discussed publication of the full report with him. When journalists tried to question Mr Muldoon about the release of the report as he was leaving his office last evening, he replied: “No questions on that. I have issued a statement and I suggest you use it.’’

The release of the report follows weeks of intrigue, claim, and counter-claim between the Government and Opposition. Sir Alfred North, a retired judge, undertook a detailed inquiry in late 1976 and early 1977 into an alleged breach of confidentiality of a police file on Mr Moyle.

The matter in the file was first raised in Parliament. by Mr Muldoon on November 4, 1976, and soon became known as the “Moyle affair.”

After a sharp exchange between Mr Muldoon and Mr Moyle across the floor of the House, the Government asked Sir Alfred to investigate Mr Moyle’s involvement with the police and his subsequent explanations to Parliament.

A condensed and abridged version of the report was released. Soon afterwards Mr Moyle resigned from his safe Mangere seat. He also withdrew as a candidate at the byelection for his old seat, and later sought, but failed to gain, the Labour nomination for several other seats for the General Election.

Finally, Mr Moyle gained selection as Labour candidate for the W’hangarei seat. A recent editorial in the Whangarei daily newspaper, the “Northern Advocate.” which referred to the “Moyle affair,” led Mr Moyle to write a rebuttal which included comments about Sir Alfred and the inquiry.

Sir Alfred was joined by Mr Muldoon in seeking a public retraction and apology from Mr Moyle for some of the latter’s remarks.