M.P.s ‘abusing free postal services’

Press, 3 July 1978, Page 7

M.P.s ‘abusing free postal services’

Wellington Labour members of Parliament have been accused of abusing a special privilege which allows them to post letters free from Parliament Buildings.

The senior Government Whip (Mr W. F. Birch), speaking during the Estimates debate, said that a special payment was made to the Post Office each year to cover postage costs incurred by members. However, he said, some Opposition members were abusing the privilege by sending out “Labour Party propaganda” from Parliament Buildings.

He said he had evidence that the member for Southern Maori (Mrs Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan) had written to people in the Kapiti electorate with correspondence on behalf of the Labour candidate for Kapiti, Mrs Margaret Shields.

He said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) had posted letters from Parliament with the Labour Party letterhead, containing Labour Party Supporters’ fund balance-sheets.

Mr Birch said the postage privilege should be confined to mail signed by members and dealing with Parliamentary matters, and to letters sent by members to people in their electorates. Dr A. M. Finlay (Lab., Henderson) said he knew nothing about the matter raised by Mr Birch, but if it had any substance, it was “nothing but the pot calling the kettle black.”

He suggested that Mr Birch ask the Government members for Eden (Mr A. G. Malcolm) about “some of the activities he has been engaged in.” Dr Finlay said that Parliamen consisted of political parties, and some time political material was sent out by members along with newsletters.

Government members sent out as much mail of this type as did Opposition members. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) said he had sent a message to the Clerk of the House (Mr C. P. Littlejohn), asking for the precise rules under which members should post letters free from Parliament.

Once such a statement had been prepared it would be

distributed to all members, he said.

Mr Muldoon said that if Mr Malcolm had misused the franking privilege, as a new member he had more of an excuse than others who had been in the House longer. Mr Muldoon said he had heard of invitations to Mr Rowling’s public meetings being sent out from Parliament, but he himself would never “dream” of doing such a thing. The postage would always be paid by the National Party.

The Labour Party “with its well-known shortage of funds” was using the privilege to save money, he said.

The senior Labour Whip (Mr C. R. Marshall) said it was a firm party rule that all mail which went, out under postage privileges must be signed. He said he would personally investigate any complaint that this rule had been breached by Labour members. Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan said the letter which had gone out on behalf of Mrs Shields to Kapiti electors had been enclosed with one she herself had signed as a member of the House.