Mr Gair to have tumour surgery

Press, 7 April 1984, Page 2

Mr Gair to have tumour surgery

Parliamentary reporter

The Minister of Transport, Mr Gair, will enter hospital on Tuesday to have a bowel tumour removed.

Mr Gair yesterday said he would be in North Shore Hospital for 10 to 14 days for abdominal surgery on a tumour that was discovered in his routine annual medical check.

He expected to take six weeks to recover, and would then resume normal duties. This will allow Mr Gair to resume his duties when Parliament resumes on May 31. The Minister of Health, Mr Malcolm, a former Associate Minister of Transport, will take over the Transport portfolio in the meantime.

Mr Gair said he made the statement yesterday to

avoid “alarmist interpretations” based on an earlier radio news report. He said he wanted the facts to be known without exaggerated

or emotional responses. Until he entered hospital, he planned to complete his scheduled duties, including a tour yesterday of North Shore industries, an address to the Road Transport Association in Wellington last evening, several constituency matters during the week-end and a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

Mr Gair is the third Cabinet Minister to fall ill recently. The Minister of Customs, Mr Allen, is in Australia, resting after an alleged street attack. He has announced he will retire from politics at the end of the year because of his diabetic condition. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Highet, is recovering at home after being in hospital with a severe viral infection.