Mr Coucn must resign from Cabinet — H.A.R.T.

Press, 14 May 1979, Page 6

Mr Coucn must resign from Cabinet — H.A.R.T.

An attack on the Minister of Maori Affairs (Mr Couch) and a call for his resignation were made bv the chairman of the Halt All Racist Tours movement (Mr Trevor Richards) in Christchurch on Saturday. The harm Mr Couch had done New Zealand was great and it had to stop, Mr Richards told the annual meeting of the Christchurch Citizens’ Association for Racial ityMr Couch had shown contempt for the Gleneagles Agreement, and had provided the South African authorities with comments and actions which had given them great support and comfort, Mr Richards said. He had indicated to the New Zealand Rugby Union that the Government was two-faced in its attitudes towards the isolation of apartheid sport, and had “ripped to pieces” the long-held constitutional con-

vention of Cabinet collective responsibility. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) had refused pointblank to criticise Mr Couch, said Mr Richards. Mr Muldoon had not tried to shut Mr Couch up, because he did not want to. Mr Muldoon hoped that one of his proxy voices, Mr Taiboys, w'ould carry the day for New Zealand internationally, while another voice, that of Mr Couch, would carry the day at home. Mr Couch was regarded overseas as being Mr Muldoon’s mouthpiece, Mr Richards said. H.A.R.T. had no hesitation in calling publicly and formally for the resignation from the Cabinet of Mr Couch. The Government’s sports contacts policy was severely compromised, said Mr Richards. There had been little if any effort by the Government to move unambiguously towards a position

more In keeping with the international agreement on apartheid. The Government had failed to apply any real or effective pressure on recalcitrant New Zealand sports bodies in an effort to prevent further sports contacts from taking place, said Mr Richards. More emphasis was placed on the freedom of sportsmen to play with whom they chose than on the Government’s opposition to sports contacts with South Africa. H.A.R.T. had tried to establish working relations with the Government but this had proved impossible, he said. Correspondence was not answered, and H.A.R.T, was subjected to “vicious and completely unprovoked attacks.” Mr Richards said H.A.R.T.’s most important campaign was that against the Springbok rugby tour of New Zealand planned for 1981.