Reassurance on snap poll

Press, 5 August 1981, Page 1

Reassurance on snap poll

; The police would be able to cope if a snap election were called while the Springboks were still in New Zealand. police sources said yesterday. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) hinted on Monday that the Springboks would not he forced to leave New Zealand if a snap election were called. If the tour were still in progress, it would not be "at all relevant" to the Government's decision to call a snap election, he said. However. the Labour member of Parliament for Christchurch Central (Mr G. W. R. Palmer) has said that it would be irresponsible to call a snap election while the Springboks were in New Zealand. -It would be . quite impossible to maintain any semblance, of order while matches were going on and an election campaign was being run." he said. "The police are needed at election meetings and police resources are stretched now." The Christchurch district

commander. Deputy Assistant Commissioner G. E. Twentyman. said that generally speaking no election, except an occasional one when "a lot of heal was engendered, extended police resources very much. Apart from big political rallies, election campaigns did not cause difficulties. P.M. will deduct cost The final cost to New Zealand of the transferred Commonwealth Finance Ministers' meeting was not vet known, the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) told Parliament yesterday. He said, however, that he would deduct the costs from payments to the Commonwealth Secretariat. Mr Muldoon was answering questions by Dr B. C. Gregory (Lab.. Northern Maori).