Mr Prebble challenges P.M.’s place on committee

Press, 26 November 1982, Page 2

Mr Prebble challenges P.M.’s place on committee

PA Wellington The Prime Minister. Mr Muldoon, yesterday dismissed suggestions that he would stand down from Parliament’s Privileges Committee when it hears charges against the Labour member, Mr R. W. Prebble.

Mr Prebble (Auckland Central) had written to the Minister of Justice. Mr McLay. as chairman of the committee, asking that Mr Muldoon be taken off the committee in case he should be called as a witness in the case.

Mr Prebble has been accused of misleading Parliament. .

But Mr Muldoon said yesterday that Mr. Prebble was “just playing games.” Mr Muldoon said he did not know if he could refuse to be a witness if Mr Prebble called him.

“Prebble’s a mountebank, you know that, and he will say the most outrageous things at the drop of a hat. But it is dignifying him unduly to take any notice of him,” he said.

Chambers Dictionary defines “mountebank” as a “quick seller of sham remedies, who draws a crowd by means of jokes; a buffoon.”

Mr Prebble has strenuously denied misleading the House. The prima facie case against him arose after a row in Parliament on Tuesday evening, when he linked the Minister of Transport, Mr Gair, with allegations of donations to National Party funds: Mr Prebble had been attacking the proposed sale of land at Stoney Batter on Waiheke Island to an Auckland businessmen, Mr John Spencer.He withdrew the remark about Mr Gair and apologised. Mr Prebble said yesterday that he would not wish to embarrass the Prime Minister by calling him as a witness to the committee. He said it would be “quite extraordinary” if Mr Muldoon acted as both judge and witness in the case.

The Privileges Committee is normally made up of the Prime Minister, his deputy, the Leader of the Opposition, his deputy, and the Minister of Justice.

. Mr Prebble again took the offensive in Parliament yesterday, pressing to be told exactly how he had allegedly misled the House.

On a point of order, he questioned the right of the Minister of Justice and committee chairman, Mr McLay, to issue instructions to hold Hansard tapes of Tuesday evening's incident when there had been heated exchanges in the House.

Mr Prebble also asked the Speaker, Sir Richard Harrison. to rule on what evidence Mr McLay should give to the 'committee. “Even someone facing an obscene language case is told what words are regarded as being obscene,” Mr Prebble said. He said that if the Speaker did not make a ruling the committee would be given a “blank cheque” and would be able to go through every word in the debate to see if something could be found that could be construed as misleading the House. Sir Richard said he was reluctant to have any further discussion on the point of order, although Mr Prebble was seeking of clarification on whether Mr McLay had the right to issue instructions about the tapes was in order. The other point relating to the extent of the record which should be held, was getting close to usurping the rights of the Privileges Committee, the Speaker said. A further point of order was made by the Opposition member for Porirua, Dr G. A. Wall, who said he wanted to draw Sir Richard’s attention to a standing order ruling that “words withdrawn cease to exist and cannot be commented on.” Mr Prebble withdrew his comments about Mr Gair after listening to a tape of his speech. Dr Wall asked when the long-standing rule, in effect since 1891, was to be obeyed and when it was to be ignored.

Sir Richard said that until the whole question was referred back from the Privileges Committee, the House should take no interest in it, although the chairman could seek clarification on matters from him.

“Apart from that, once the matter has been referred to the select committee it is over to the select committee to carry out its investigations and inquiries in the way it considers appropriate,” Sir Richard said. Mr McLay would not comment yesterday on Mr Prebble’s cal'. His office said he had not yet received the letter.