Mr Gill refuses to give information

Press, 20 July 1979, Page 4

Mr Gill refuses to give information

PA Wellington The Minister of Police (Mr Gill) told Parliament yesterday that he would not give the Opposition member for Auckland Central (Mr R. W. Prebble) any confidential police information “at any time, in the House or elsewhere.” Mr Gill said he was determined to preserve the confidentiality of the police. He was answering a series of questions by Mr Prebble about the drawings of two persons wanted for questioning about the killing in Melbourne of two New Zealanders.

Mr Prebble asked Mr Gill: “Has the Minister seen the identikit drawings of the two persons wanted for questioning in relation to the murder in Melbourne of two New Zealanders, Mr and Mrs Doug Wilson, in the ‘Auckland Star’ of May 26 and, if so, was the drawing authorised by the New Zealand police, and who are the two persons shown?”

Mr Gill replied: “I have seen the photographs refer-

red to by the member. The drawings, which the member wrongly refers to as identikit drawings, were released by the Victorian police and relate to a murder committed at Melbourne. The New Zealand police have no authority to approve or otherwise such drawings. Any comment on the identity of these persons is a matter for the Victorian police.” Mr Prebble asked Mr Gill if he could tell Parliament if he had any information which would “confirm the statement contained in this week’s ‘Truth’ that, in fact, the identities of the two persons are Mr Peter Fulcher and a Mr Terence John Clark.”

Mr Gill replied: “I have no intention of giving the member any confidential police information at any time, in the House or elsewhere.”

Mr D. R. Lange (Lab., Mangere) asked Mr Gill if his view of the confidentiality of the identity of the persons in the pictures would be changed if he remembered that “the wife of one such

person describes the identity of both in interviews with the news media.”

Mr Gill replied: “At no time did I speak of the confidentiality of those particular persons. I said, confidential police matters. If these matters are known to the press, the member can read the press and get his information. It is no good the member coming to the House and, in the guise of Parliamentary questions, asking me to give answers that affect police confidentiality, because I am not going to do it.” Mr Prebble asked Mr Gill why Parliament could not be told whether facts in newspapers were correct. Mr Gill said something could be published in the news media as a fact and there could be a great deal of comment on it.

“My confirmation, based on confidential police information, that it was, in fact, correct information is a breach of the confidentiality which I am determined to preserve,” he said.