Minister knew of doubt over loan

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 6

Minister knew of doubt over loan

NZPA Wellington Parliament was told yesterday that the Minister of Lands (Mr V. S. Young ) knew on June 30 of the possibility that Mr and Mrs J. Fitzgerald made a false declaration in connection with their application for a loan from the Marginal Lands Board.

It was on that date that the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) announced the Cabinet's decision to set up a commission of inquiry into the row involving the Fitzgeralds. Mrs Fitzgerald is the daughter of the Minister of Agriculture Mr MacIntyre) and the couple are friends of Mr Young. : On Augist 21, the Direct-[ or-General of Lands (Mr N. S. Coad) laid a complaint: with the police about the! application. The Commis-i sioner of Police (Mr R. J. I Walton) said this week that! the complaint was related to! a statutory declaration. j In Parliament yesterday,! the Opposition continued its! questioning of Government! Ministers involved in the af-1 fair, and was accused by the Leader of the House (Mr. Thomson), of “prostituting”! procedures of Parlia-i; ment. ij “This campaign, while a! commission of inquiry is!] going on. does Parliament no'] good,” .Mr Thomson said. j] Mr R. W. Prebble (Lab..! Auck. Central) asked when? Mr Young first becameji

t, ; aware of the possibility that! • la false declaration had been' -!made in connection with the! i;Fitzgerald application. i >| Replying for Mr Young, | •■who is in Adelaide, Mri ;! Thomson said it was on ■[June 30. ■I This prompted the Deputy < Leader of the Opposition i (Mr Lange) to ask why it I was not until August 21 that I the matter was referred to' 'the police. I ; “The' honourable member lean get the answer from the I commission of inquiry,” Mr! I Thomson replied. I I The Leader of the Oppcsi-h [tion '(Mr Rowling), then! i asked whether, in view ofji [the delay, Mr Young wasp !being negligent, or whether! [he had been unable to actli on the matter. Mr Thomson said that Mrlf [Rowling could “have bls'] 'prurience satisfied” in the'] report of the committee ofis inquiry. [1 He withdrew trie “pru- 1 rience” remark at thejj request of the Speaker (Sir! Richard Harrison). I 1 Mr Thomson charged thejc Opposition with “prostitut-'p ing” the procedures of Par-lc

|liament when he rose on a (point of order at one stage ■ during the long spell of [questioning. | He said the Opposition’s i questions were assertions until trie commission of inquiry established the facts. “I suggest they ought to be ruled out as incapable of substantiation until the commission has reported.” 1 Mr Thomson said it was (not in the public interest [that such a campaign should j proceed. “I regard the whole [thing as a prostitution of trie Parliamentary procedure,” Mr Thomson sa'd. “The Minister involved is not denying his accountability to Parliament.” “This campaign, while a commission of inquiry is going on, does Parliament no good. Nor does it do any good to those people who put up these questions. I suggest the people of New Zealand will be regarding them as political pimps,” Mr Thomson said. Sir Ric’iard described the last remark as offensive and called on Mr Thomson to withdraw it. The Minister did so.