Lange walk-out sparks row

Press, 25 November 1983, Page 4

Lange walk-out sparks row

PA Wellington The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Lange, walked out of Parliament last evening, leaving behind him a bitter row that saw the Speaker, Sir Richard Harrison, recalled to the chair.

Mr Lange left after a rowdy speech in which he referred to the Leader of the House, Mr Thomson, as a “poofter.”

The House was in committee on the State Services Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill at the time. The committee’s chairman, Mr J. F. Luxton, rose to ask Mr Lange to withdraw and apologise for the remark, but Mr Lange kept speaking. When the considerable noise died down, Mr Luxton said he required Mr Lange to leave the chamber.

After a brief debate, Mr Lange said: “I am happy to leave this chamber and I will vote all night against this Government and forever against this Government.” He walked out the door to applause from both sides of the House.

The incident began soon before the Parliamentary broadcast ended at 10.30 p.m. Mr Thomson reminded Parliament he had offered to extend the broadcasting hours if the Opposition gave an assurance it would agree that the debate on the bill should end at midnight. The assurance was not given, he said.

Mr Lange said in reply: “That Minister is a poofter.” The rest of his speech was drowned out by shouting. Soon after Mr Lange had left the House, a division was taken on whether debate on the short title of the bill and two proposed

amendments should end.

Mr Luxton read the result as being 45 to 41 in favour of closing the debate. The Chief Opposition Whip, Mr J. L. Hunt, said 42 Opposition members had voted. Mr Luxton replied that he had not counted Mr Lange’s vote.

Mr Hunt rose to a point of order, but Mr Luxton, noticing that Mr lange had returned to his seat, refused to allow it until Mr Lange left, which he did. A drawn-out argument over whether Mr Luxton was entitled to disallow Mr Lange’s vote began, culminating in a demand that the Speaker be recalled to adjudicate.

After listening to versions of events from Mr Luxton,

the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mr Palmer, the Minister of Justice, Mr McLay, and others, the Speaker ruled that Mr Lange’s vote should be allowed.

He said the chairman’s decision to send Mr Lange from the chamber was not made under the standing order that would have barred him from voting. Mr Lange had not been excluded for the remainder of the day, he said.

When the House went back into committee, Mr Luxton recalled Mr Lange to the chamber.

Mr Lange apologised for his remarks and expressed his respect for Mr Luxton’s integrity as a chairman.