Decision on W. Samoans expected next week, says P.M.

Press, 11 August 1982, Page 1

Decision on W. Samoans expected next week, says P.M.

From

OLIVER RIDDELL,

in Rotoriia

The constitutional implications of the Privy Council’s decision giving more than 100,000 Western Samoan citizens New Zealand citizenship should be cleared up. in a week, according to the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon).

At the conclusion of the South Pacific ’"Forum in Rotorua he spent 30 minutes with the Prime Minister of Western Samoa (Va’ai Kolone). They set the groundwork for later meetings this week in Wellington between themselves, officials, and constitu-

tional experts. “We have run over the situation as we find it." Mr Muldoon said. He said that Va’ai Kolone would go to Wellington today and be briefed on the legal aspects and the options. They would discuss the matter

with the Attorney-General (Mr McLay) and the Solicitor-General (Mr D. P. Neazor).

Mr Muldoon will meet Va’ai Kolone again tomorrow. "But I am not going to give publicity to the options.” he said. “That w’ould be extremely discourteous.” Mr Muldoon promised to consult the leaders of the

Labour and Social Credit ■ parties before any final decision was made: He said the constitutional importance of the matter required this. He had not asked Va’ai Kolone what Western Samoa's position was. It would have been unfair to ask him to react before he

had seen all the options and heard the details. Mr Muldoon agreed that legislation in New Zealand was one option. That option had been widely discussed by people attending the forum. “I do not know how long this process will finally take,

and I do not know when we can make the options public,” he said. “The situation is evolving

day by day. but there is no tension between our Governments about it." The role of the Privy Council would not be considered until the whole matter was over. “The question has a very local and regional flavour,”

Mr Muldoon said. “Does it make sense to have a handful of highly qualified gentlemen in London make a decision that can for decades affect the relationship of two South Pacific countries?” The question was of interest outside just New Zaland and Western Samoa.

He also agreed that until the matter was resolved, the way decisions of individual Western Samoa cases in New Zealand, had been put in abeyance might be unfair to some of them. A conclusion would be reached as quickly as possible.

He said that Va’ai Kolone and he had agreed that the matter would have to be resolved very carefully.