Queen ‘did not urge Waitangi meeting’

Press, 9 February 1984, Page 8

Queen ‘did not urge Waitangi meeting’

PA Auckland A spokesman for Government House in Auckland yesterday denied that the Queen had asked the Gover-nor-General, Sir David Beattie, to meet peace walkers at Waitangi. No meeting took place, but Sir David offered on Monday to meet representatives of the hikoi (peace walk). He waited for two hours while the hikoi tried to come to a consensus. Government House said the decision to meet the marchers was made by Sir David and that the Queen had made no such request. A “police shadow” fell over Sir David’s attempt at Waitangi to bridge the 144-year-old gap with Maoridom, said the Kotahitanga president, Mrs Eva Rickard, yesterday. She said she felt very sad

for Sir David that the planned meeting with the hikoi to Waitangi did not take place.

“He extended the hand of

friendship to Maoridom. We trust this man and have deep respect for him,” she said. “I hope he does not feel that the Maori people have slighted him in any way.” The national president of the Maori Wardens’ Association, Mr Peter Walden, said yesterday that the police stopped the walkers at the Waitangi River bridge. The Northland police chief, Superintendent R. P. Silk, had earlier denied that the police had stopped the 1000-strong hikoi on the bridge for 40 minutes. He said yesterday that, a police officer had “technically” stopped the marchers for a discussion. “But it was not an action preventing the marchers from crossing the bridge; it was merely to discuss with them where they were going,” he said.

The delay occurred while Sir David waited at the Waitangi Treaty House.