Marsden election if needed — P.M.

Press, 20 September 1982, Page 6

Marsden election if needed — P.M.

PA. ; Whangarei The Government will call an election over disruption at the Marsden Point refinery expansion project if it has to. says the Prime Minister. Mr Muldoon.

The ' Government refused to bend to industrial blackmail or “professional disrupters” at the refinery, and “industrial thugs" had no place in New Zealand, he said.

To ensure completion of the refinery expansion, the Government would legislate if it had to. and “go to the country" if it had to. Mr Muldoon said.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Mr Lange, said last evening that the election threat was a huge diversion. Talk of an early election would be unsettling for National members of Parliament. facing electorate organisation problems, who knew Labour was "lusting for it." Mr Lange said. “How serious he (Mr Muldoon) is. only the balance of payments knows." he said.

"If it is disastrous, he may well try to whip up a scenario where he can go to the . country without having to spill the’ economic beans. "Whenever we are in the economic cart we get a massive diversion. But it is an interesting time to choose to stir up trouble . . . just, when things were settling down." Mr Lange said. Mr Muldoon said that disruption at the refinery expansion. because of a bid to import 50 British boilermakers for skilled work on the project, was a fruitless argument. "No one is going to bring in additional people unless they are needed. No one who has a skill and is a good normal working man will be without a job in this country." Mr Muldoon said. ’“lf someone is a professional disrupter or an indstrial thug he doesn’t deserve a job in this country. He doesn't deserve to be in this countrv.

"Tha’t is the attitude most of the working people in this

country have." Mr Muldoon said that every month's delay in the completion of the refinery expansion would cost about $8 a head for every man. woman and child in New Zealand.

To ensure completion of the project, the Government would legislate if it had to and “go to the country" if it had to. he said. “It is certainly clear to me there is a head of steam building up in public opinion that will support very strong measures by the Government," Mr Muldoon said.

Mr Lange said it was "a very stupid thing to do" to tell a group of people the future of the Government depended upon them. '“There might be people in that group who would feel that a change in Government was a good thing and that it might be worth hanging in there for that."

Chances for settling the dispute . diminished every time "someone sticks his nose in it."