Call for probe of Minister’s role

Press, 4 September 1980, Page 1

Call for probe of Minister’s role

PA Wellington The Labour Party yesterday again called for the terms of reference of the Fitzgerald loan inquiry to include specifically the conduct of the Minister of Agriculture .(Mr MacIntyre),'

Labour’s Deputy Leader (Mr Lange) said that the A. 11 or n e y-General (Mr McLay) had been prepared to consider amending the terms of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Thomas case and should be as “open-mind-ed” on the Fitzgerald inquiry. Mr McLay said yesterday that he would not interfere in the Fitzgerald inquiry, saying that the commissioners in the Thomas case had approached him for discussions regarding terms of inquiry. The possibility of altering the terms was still being considered, he said. ■

However, in the Fitzgerald case, he would not become involved unless specifically asked to by the commission itself. Mr Lange . said yesterday’ that he had not asked Mr McLay to interfere with, or\ direct the Fitzgerald commission. He simply believed. that the terms of reference should be altered to include an investigation of Mr Mac-

Intyre’s role in the matter.

Mr Maclntyre .is the father of Mrs Audrey Fitzgerald, the woman who. with her husband, Jim, is at the centre of the loan controversy. ' ' Mr' Maclntyre is also Minister in ; Charge of the Rural Bank.' Mr V. S. Young, Minister of Lands and chairman of the Marginal Lands' Board, has admitted asking the Director-General of Lands (Mr N. Coad) to review the board’s refusal to grant the couple a loan of $106,000 to develop their rugged Wellington property. Mr Young has also admitted that he is a personal friend of the Fitzgeralds. Mr Young, questioned by Mr Lange, said that the Marginal Lands Board had waited more than a month before seeking a legal opinion on the Fitzgerald loan application, because it believed that a Commission of Inquiry was imminent. ' i : ' . '

Mr Lange had asked why the board had waited until August'. 5 '.before seeking a legal opinion on suggestions that. the Fitzgeralds might have made a false, declaration on the application form, : Mr Young first said that he knew of such suggestions on June 30.

“The marginal Lands Board-decided to . seek to have The matters associated with the loan application included in the ; terms of reference for tha Commission of Inquiry,” ; Mr Young said. ;

“The board was sub- i sequently. advised to seek { a legal opinion, and this it J did,” he said. Mr Lange asked Mr I Young why, if he knew“ there was a suspicion of a I false application, did he ' not pursue the matter more quickly. i “At the stage that the J Marginal Lands Board considered the information it had received, it was anticipated that there would sit in the next few weeks a Commission of Inquiry,’’ Mr. Young said. Mr Lange' asked how Mr Young explained his answer given, that the ' Commission' had not been mooted in late June and early July. ’ Mr Young said that Mr Lange was -entirely in-, correct — that the Commissidn ’ had been intimated .early : in July by ' the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon). The Commission of Inquiry into the Fitzgerald case opened in. Wellington : on Tuesday. It is to report : to Mr McLay by November 14. .