Govt Whip quits

Press, 4 December 1981, Page 1

Govt Whip quits

PA Wellington The National Party's member of Parliament for New Plymouth, Mr A. P. D. Friedlander, has resigned as the Government's Senior Whip. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) said after the party's caucus yesterday that Mr Friedlander had made it clear that he did not want to continue in the post. New Whips are expected to be appointed in the first caucus of the party next year. The meeting was scheduled yesterday for the first week in February.

Mr Muldoon said, “It (being a Whip) is the kind of job that either you like or you do not." Of the Government’s onevote majority after the preliminary election result, he said, “It (being a Whip) is not going to be the easiest of jobs in the next three years.” The job of Whip is mainly administrative and involves organising members of Parliament to take part in debates, making sure they vote in divisions, and ensuring that they toe the party line. Just before leaving Auckland last evening for a holi-

day in Fiji, Mr Friedlander said that three years in the job was long enough for anybody. “Absolutely nothing" could be read into his decision. Asked about ambitions he may have of becoming a Cabinet Minister, Mr Friedlander said that anybody going into politics hoped to be in the Cabinet some day. Mr Friedlander, who held his New Plymouth seat with an increased majority on election-night results, declared his support for the former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Taiboys, in the Government’s leadership crisis last vear.