Protester’s wife to speak

Press, 6 May 1978, Page 3

Protester’s wife to speak

The Bastion Point land protester, Mr Joe Hawke, will not speak in Christchurch tomorrow. Instead, his wife, Mrs Rena Hawke, will make the trip south from Auckland to speak at the Trade Union Centre in Christchurch. Mrs Hawke has been with her husband and other supporters at Bastion Point for 486 days. A spokesman for the Christchurch Bastion Point Supporters Group said that Mr Hawke was involved in “last-ditch discussions” and did not wish to leave Bastion Point until the issue had been resolved. At Auckland, protesters at Bastion Point, facing arrest for contempt of court, have been granted a reprieve until after the week-end, according to the Press Association.

The sheriff of the Supreme Court at Auckland (Mr P. J. Cunneen), who was authorised to arrest and bring two • protesters to court yesterday, sought a stay of proceedings.

He told Mr Justice Speight that he had heard from some of the people at Orakei.

“They say it would be apropriate if the Court could stay its hand for a short period in the hope that they themselves may achieve a resolution of the problem,” he told his Honour.

His Honour on Thursday had granted a Crown appli-

cation for writs of attachment against Messrs J. P. Hawke and R. P. Rameka.

The Crown had alleged that the two men were in contempt of an earlier court order to leave Bastion Point. His Honour said yesterday that he had originally directed that the writs not be executed for 24 hours from Thursday, in the hope that wiser counsels would prevail. In view of Mr Cunneen’s advice, he saw no harm in directing that he not execute the writs yesterday or during the week-end. After the week-end, the sheriff could proceed “at his discretion.” Counsel for the Crown (Mr C. M. Nicholson) made no submissions yesterday. Hopes that the Bastion Point protesters and the elders would meet and reach agreement seemed doubtful yesterday. Mr Hawke said: “We are prepared to work hard to reach agreement between th° Government, the elders, and ourselves. It is going to De hard work, but let’s try it.” A spokesman for the elders, Mr Pateora Maihi, said they had not decided whether they would even take part in any meeting.

Elders* meeting, Page 6