Commission’s vacancy not worrying P.M.

Press, 3 May 1983, Page 3

Commission’s vacancy not worrying P.M.

PA Wellington The Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, is not concerned that the Human Rights Commission is still without a chairman, more than a month after the expiry of the appointment of the previous chairman, Mr Pat Downey. Mr Downey took up a new appointment early last month, but Mr Muldoon told reporters yesterday that he was still “extremely active” wrapping up Human Rights Commission work.

“Reports are coming to me like falling leaves,” Mr Muldoon said. “It’s obvious he is still extremely active.” Mr Downey and the commission have been frequently criticised in recent years by Mr Muldoon for decisions that have been made.

However, Mr Muldoon said he did not think his criticism was responsible

for the lack of interest in the chairman’s post. “Anyone who’s watched the operations of the commission in the last few years ... would see an ample case for anything I have said,” Mr Muldoon said.

He said the commission had an important duty to perform, but many of its recent actions had “trivialised its role to a farcical degree”. “It’s important for the commission to function in terms of the original concept, but I don’t think it is important for the commission to function in terms of different types of prizes for boys’ and girls’ painting contests or to say a man can’t have a Christian petrol puller,” Mr Muldoon said. “That makes a farce of the law. That’s my principle complaint about the manner in which it has worked.”