National Party paper contradicts Sir Robert

Press, 4 May 1984, Page 1

National Party paper contradicts Sir Robert

PA Wellington The statement by the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, that the Government had no intention of. ratifying a United Nations convention to end discrimination against women contradicts a background paper delivered to National Party candidates.

The member of Parliament for Waipa, Ms Marilyn Waring, said yesterday that the paper was drafted by the Prime Minister’s Department. She quoted it as saying, “It is hoped and anticipated by the Government that there will be wide support for ratification so New Zealand can proudly stand up and be counted in an international forum.

“The convention provides an opportunity for New Zealand to show leadership to other countries which have enormous discriminatory practices.” Ms Waring said the Government “cannot afford to be misleading every one of our colleagues in this way.” Sir Robert said on a radio talkback show in Auckland on Wednesday, “We are certainly not going to adopt

such a divisive convention while my Government is there. “It’s not necessary to adopt it and I don’t think it would do very much for us if we did adopt it.” The president of the National Council of Women, Mrs Dorothea Horsman, said on Wednesday that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Cooper, told the council earlier that the convention would be ratified by New Zealand. Ms Waring said that was her understanding of the Government’s position. She regarded ratification as a matter of urgency. It was discussed at yesterday’s caucus meeting. Sir Robert told a postcaucus press conference that the Government’s position was that “we have not in front of the Government at the moment a proposal to ratify this convention. “If we were to have such a proposal I couldn’t guess whether the caucus would go along with it because we didn’t take any votes on it. “There are some members who support its ratification, there are some who oppose ratification, and a considerable number who would take the view that carrying out the implementation of those policies is far more important than ratifying a United Nations convention.” Two Labour members of Parliament, Ms Helen Clark and Ms Fran Wilde, said in a joint statement yesterday that they were appalled the Prime Minister was “attempting to bulldoze his Government” into not ratifying the convention. It was clear that many caucus members disagreed with him, they said. Labour supported ratification of the convention as did most major women’s organisations.