Marilyn a sad girl, says P.M.

Press, 23 June 1984, Page 8

Marilyn a sad girl, says P.M.

NZPA staff correspondent Sydney

Ms Marilyn Waring had been a “sad girl” for a long time and made the right decision to get out of politics, said the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, yesterday. He told journalists in Sydney that although she had forced his hand in calling an election by removing complete support for the Government, there was no anger against the independ-ently-minded member of Parliament for Waipa.

“My feelings towards Marilyn are of sympathy because she’s been a very sad girl for quite a long time," he said. “I think she’s made a wise

decision getting out of politics because the pressures of political life were proving to be pretty tough. “She found the pressure of Parliamentary life very demanding and I think personal pressures very demanding as well,” he said. “It was very obvious to us that in the last year or two she hasn’t been a happy person.” Sir Robert said he believed that the Government caucus would have agreed with her on one of the causes she had championed and said was an issue in the withdrawal of her total support — outlawing rape in marriage. “We were going to bring in an enlightened amendment on that law,” he said.