Dr Cullen, Ms Wilde chosen as Whips

Press, 20 July 1984, Page 2

Dr Cullen, Ms Wilde chosen as Whips

Dr Michael Cullen (St Kilda) and Ms Fran Wilde (Wellington Central) have been chosen by the Labour caucus to be Chief Whip and Junior Whip respectively. The election of Ms Wilde is the first time a woman has held the post of Whip, either in Government or in Opposition, in New Zealand. Dr Cullen was educated at Christ’s College in Christchurch and was a senior lecturer in history at the University of Otago before being elected to Parliament in 1981. He is 38 and has already had experience as an Acting Whip, while taking a prominent role as Labour spokesman on the environment during the last 18 months. : 1 He is also noted for his erudite interjections in ' Parliament and for his liter-. ary press releases. His most ’ recent literary effort was only on Wednesday ; when, just to muddy the waters further, he issued a statement which purported to come from Sir Robert Muldoon (but which obviously : did not) on the pending: leadership issue within the . National Party which said,

‘C’est la vie, c’est le Gair.” Dr Cullen’s joke went rather further than he had intended when one Wellington newspaper published it on its front page as being tantamount to a concession by Sir Robert that Mr Gair would replace him. Ms Wilde, aged 34, was also first elected in 1981 and has been closely associated with women’s affairs as well as regional issues? in Wellington. Both Dr Cullen and Ms

Wilde attracted a lot of attention as first-session backbenchers and their choice reflects a wish by the Labour caucus to have two jtough politicians to occupy the ..position of : Whips to control ' the big Labour majority in Parliament. The caucus also chose a ■new secretary for itself, Mr .Bill Jeffries (Heretaunga), who was a prominent lawyer in Wellington arid was also first elected to Parliament in 1981.