PM talks on tour freedom

Press, 20 April 1981, Page 17

PM talks on tour freedom

PA Wellington The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) has indicated the success of the New Zealand Government in persuading sports bodies not to compete at Moscow by contrasting it with the efforts of the Australian and British governments.

He said that the New Zealand - Government had very largely succeeded but Australia and Britain had not.

“In respect of South Africa, neither Britain nor Ireland is prepared to take away the freedom of their sports bodies to make the final choice. If Australia takes a different view that is a matter for the Australian Government, not for New Zealand,” ..Mr Muldoon said. “At the'time.of the drafting of the Gleneagles Agreement, on my return home, in the National Party’s 1978 election policy, and continuously since then; I have, i.made it clear, that, my Gov-

ernment will not remove the right and the freedom of New Zealand sports bodies and sportsmen to make up their own minds who they will compete with and where.

"Newspaper editors who jump like scalded cats at the suggestion that the freedom of the press might be infringed seem to regard these other freedoms as a matter of no consequence,” Mr Muldoon said.

“My colleagues in the Government and I do not place any less value on the freedoms of our sportsmen and sports bodies than we do on the freedom of the press, or any of the other freedoms that we enjoy,” he said. “To do so would lay us open to the kind of malicious charge that' some of my political opponents like to level at us. It is now apparent that a Labour government would take away from these freedoms. A National Government will not."