Mr Kirk denies new party offer

Press, 2 September 1983, Page 4

Mr Kirk denies new party offer

PA Wellington The Labour member of Parliament for Sydenham, Mr John Kirk, last evening 'denied being offered $llO,OOO to stand for the New Zealand Party in next year’s General Election. The assertion was made in Parliament last evening by the Associate Minister of Finance, Mr Falloon, who said Mr Kirk had been offered the money as campaign expenses if he stood for the Wellington Central seat. • Mr Kirk said Mr Falloon’s suggestion was “not correct at all.” A property magnate, Mr Bob Jones, one of the founders of the New Zealand Party and the person who, according to Mr Falloon, was providing the money, said he would give $1 million to the National Party if Mr Falloon could prove his assertion. Mr Kirk said he had

talked with Mr Jones about the new Right-wing party “and my situation in rela-. tion to that” but would not give details of what they had discussed. Mr Kirk will stand down at the next General Election, and the president of the Labour Party, Mr J. P. Anderton, has been nominated by the party for the Sydenham seat. Mr Falloon told Parliament that Mr Kirk turned down a “really important offer today.” “I feel for him because I would find it very hard to turn down Bob Jones’s $llO,OOO too.” Mr Falloon said the New Zealand Party was trying to buy itself into Parliament. “If that is their sort of party principle then, my goodness me, he (Mr Jones) will not get any seats in Parliament next time he stands for election,” Mr Falloon said.