Mrs Clarke breaks down at conference

Press, 15 May 1981, Page 3

Mrs Clarke breaks down at conference

PA Wellington The maverick Labour Party member, Mrs Paula Clarke, broke down before 600 delegatesat the party’s conference yesterday after a rift between, herself and other Polynesian delegates had widened. Mrs Clarke, of Porirua, has been at odds with Pacific island members of the party and the party’s executive since she staged an abortive demonstration in favour of the Springbok tour in Wellington earlier this month. The sitting Pacific islands’ representative on the party’s executive council for the last year, Mrs Clarke was booed when she appeared on stage at the conference on Wednesday for re-election. When she was refused the right to address delegates she withdraw her nomination and threatened to leave the party. Another Western Samoan, who is also a Wellington City councillor, Mrs

Tala Cleverley, was elected in her place. Yesterday a wrangle began over who should present the Pacific islands’ representative report. When the conference narrowly agreed that it should be Mrs Clarke, the Orakei Maori branch’s delegate, Mr John Antonio, walked out. When Mrs Clarke reached the speaker’s rostrum she broke down in tears. Unable to continue, she sobbed into the microphone until the party’s president, Mr J. P. Anderton, directed her to continue with the report. Mrs Cleverley comforted her. After her report had been presented Mr Anderton acknowledged that there had been “a moving and disturbing aspect to Polynesian representation on the Labour Council.” But he said that the Polynesians were rallying to the party, as was evidenced by the establishment of two new Pacific islands branches of. the party in Wellington in the last year.