Mr Muldoon ‘sincere and straight-shooter

Press, 17 July 1980, Page 17

Mr Muldoon ‘sincere and straight-shooter

NZPA Tarawa The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (Sir Julius Chan) says his New Zealand counterpart, Mr Muldoon, is a “straightshooter” who livens up meetings of the South Pacific Forum.

"Without ‘him there would be no bright ideas, nt) bright arguments,” he said.

“I think you need a fellow who shoots from the hip from time to time.” Sir Julius, the forum spokesman, made his comments when a Fiji journalist asked him at a news briefing what he thought of Mr Muldoon.

“He impressed me very much,” Sir Julius said. “I think without him and the tall Fraser (the Australian Prime Minister) nobody else would talk. Only Muldoon. He’s a straight shooter and he’s sincere.” And Mr Muldoon’s views on Sir Julius?

“He’s a very bright bloke.”

The two leaders have known each other for several years, attending inter national conferences as finance ministers.

Sir Julius has had journalists smiling with his frank comments and dry humour at his news briefings. He admitted that he had dropped off to sleep during the forum discussions in the thatch-roofed Kiribati House of Assembly. “That must be right because I was awake by then,” he commented on one point as he was going over the agenda with journalists.

He explained why he had not signed the South Pacific trade agreement by saying he had come “halfcocked” and had forgotten to get his Cabinet to approve it first. “But you can take Papua New Guinea for granted,” he said. “We agree with everything.” Sir Julius will sign the agreement when his Cabinet formally approves it.