P.M. misquoted on activists

Press, 5 March 1982, Page 2

P.M. misquoted on activists

PA Wellington The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) has denied that he made a blanket condemnation of Maori activists, accusing them on Australian television late last month of being “psychologically attuned to violence.” An incorrect version of his comments on Channel Nine television, Brisbane, was reported by the Australian Associated Press and was distributed in New Zealand by the Press Association.

The report, which appeared in “The Press” on February 25, was corrected by the Press Association, using a transcript supplied by the Prime Minister’s

office at the Press Association’s request. But Mr Muldoon is concerned that letters to the editors of various provincial and metropolitan papers reflect the misreported version of his remarks on the subject of Maori radicals travelling to Brisbane to assist Aboriginal land-rights activists in their efforts to disrupt the Commonwealth Games. In context, Mr Muldoon was asked during the interview how determined he thought two individual Maori activists were to continue “violent confrontation.” The two, both women, were named by the interviewer. In reply, Mr Muldoon said “.. .Well, they are psychologically attuned to it and they will not stop and they do not much care what the issue is.”

He said that the type of radical referred to by the interviewer was “small in number and they do not represent New Zealand Maoridom in any way.” The A.A.P. report also suggested that Mr Muldoon had supported withholding passports from known New Zealand, radicals going to Australia.