P.M. ‘must speak on tour’

Press, 21 December 1978, Page 6

P.M. ‘must speak on tour’

New Zealand's reputation would suffer unless the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) and the National Party supported the stand of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Taiboys) on the propoaed rugby visit to South Africa, said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) yesterday. Mr Muldoon's silence suggested that “he has had a holiday declared by the National Party executive.” Mr Taiboys was doing his best to honour the Gleneagles

t, Agreement but his voice t alone was only “a lukewarm ■ response to say the least.” I Doubts had to be raised f overseas if Mr Taiboys <re- - mained the only senior - member of the Government i to speak out on the issue. The only • other comment ' from a member of the Government had expressed just ■ the opposite of what Mr i Taiboys was trying to tell: ■ the New Zealand Rugby! ’ Union. Mr Rowling singled out! • for criticism “the very dam-'

Paging comment” by the for-’ > mer member of Parliament . for Hastings, Mr W. R. Fen- . I ton. 1 •i The Government’s com-J " munication with the Rugby , l Union also left something to j be desired. “They don’t .seem ; pto have conveyed strong i feelings until after the act ] ; (the union's decision to pass , ' on the South African tn- ' vitations to. players),” said ( Mr Rowling. j “As a result, they have j !had to start on the back’] foot. Both the Governments

and the Rugby Union have an obligation to dissuade the players concerned from accepting the invitatiohs.”Of the number of players, invited to South Africa, Mrj Rowling said that reducing! from 16 to six would not’ piease anyone: it was a; weak compromise..' It would have been differ-; ent if the invitations had! gone direct to the players; but as they had not, the Rugby Union had a very real responsibility. ; j