TV2 transcript

Press, 13 June 1979, Page 18

TV2 transcript

Sir, — I congratulate A. K. Grant for his brilliant article on the Prebble affair (June 9). This great satirist, of southern hemisphere renown, has struck a vein of gold: what better target than the law? Who else could stand in the profitable jungle of unreformed law and call for a “fresh assessment of the justification of Parliamentary privelege”? Or imply that freedom demands the loss of Parliamentary freedom. Moreover, through subtle understatement A. K. G. emphasises widespread concern over television’s timidity. No doubt he will review the suppressed Corso film and call for a fresh assessment of the right of the unemployed, the widowed and the poor to speak without the advice of lawyers. — Yours, etc,, NEVILLE BENNETT. June 12, 1979.

Sir, — In reference to your editorial (“The Press,” June 9), I consider that you have an extraordinarily selective memory. You castigate Mr Muldoon for “attacking” a back-bencher, because of provocation by the Opposition. Have you forgotten that Mr Moyle attacked the integrity of Mr Muldoon’s firm, and therefore, his integrity, and that of his partners and staff? That side of the episode you sweep under the carpet. Mr Muldoon, angry and goaded, retaliated and it was all very unsavoury. But Mr Moyle offended first “under privilege.” — Yours, ’(Mrs) E. D. PRENTICE. June 10, 1979. [We certainly did not forget the provocation, or overlook it when commenting in the first instance. —Editor] Sir, — Parliamentary privilege is a vile law and no person can be safe from abuse of it. Mr Prebble,

hiding behind this law wrongly accused a group of men whom the police didmot find evidence to prosecute. These men have no right of defence, and they have been named through the newspapers of this country and Australia. Two members of Parliament on the Labour side are today on the sideline for doing less than Mr Prebble. The TV reporter who prepared the script has lost his job. The script was banned from TV. The same experience should be meted out to the one who read it. —• Yours, etc., MRS ALICE BAXTER. June 10, 1979.