Minister cancels Clyde dam speech

Press, 18 June 1982, Page 4

Minister cancels Clyde dam speech

PA Auckland The Minister for the Environment (Dr Shearer) cancelled a speaking engagement last evening because, according to the organisers, he was wary of making statements that might be used against him.

Dr Shearer was to have spoken about the Clyde dam project to a meeting of the Environmental Defence Society.

The executive officer of the society, Mr Gary Taylor, said last evening that Dr Shearer had agreed to speak a month ago and confirmed his availability last week. But Mr Taylor said that Dr Shearer had told him on Wednesday that he was reluctant to speak for fear of being drawn into making statements that could be used against him.

Mr Taylor also said Dr Shearer had said he was not sufficiently briefed on the

Clyde dam to speak about the project. "A week ago Dr Shearer was happy to speak to us and now he is not." said. Mr Taylor. “His reluctance is undoubtedly connected with the Quigley affair. “It is a sad day when a Cabinet Minister feels unable to defend Government policy at a public meeting."

The Labour member of Parliament for Christchurch Central, Mr G. W. R. Palmer, who spoke in place of Dr Shearer, said he was not surprised by Dr Shearer's non-attendance. "We have reached the stage where the Government is just not prepared to defend its policies to those groups who know something about what those policies are concerned with,” Mr Palmer said.