Censure motion defeated

Press, 9 May 1979, Page 2

Censure motion defeated

PA Hamilton A motion of censure against Miss Marilyn Waring, the member of Parliament for Waipa, for her recent statements on abortion was soundly defeated at an electorate, executive meeting on Monday evening. The Otorohanga branch of the National Party moved the censure motion but failed to gain any support from the 14 other branches represented at the meeting. Miss Waring, w r ho recently came out publicly in support of women’s learning menstrual extraction, attended the meeting. The electorate chairman (Mr A. Myers) said that the defeat of the censure motion was a definite vote of confidence in Miss Waring. He said that after Otorohanga branch delegates had put the case against her. delegates from other branches expressed confidence in Miss Waring. “The feeling of the meeting was that it was impossible to judge a member’s work on only one issue. She is a hard-working Parliamentarian and has the resounding support of the electorate,” Mr Myers said. The feeling which had emerged from the meeting was that most people did not want freedom of speech curtailed.

The Otorohanga branch chairman (Mr T. Polstra), declined to comment yesterday. He said that a motion was passed at the meeting “that we are not allowed to make any comment.” Mr Myers said that Miss Waring would meet people in Otorohanga who had come out against her advocacy that women learn menstrual extraction.