Dispute arises over offices at Parliament

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 6

Dispute arises over offices at Parliament

From

OLIVER RIDDELL

In Wellington The orderly transfer of government this afternoon, from National to Labour, is being marred by a dispute over who should occupy what offices in the old Parliament Buildings. Members of Parliament and staff were sitting in their offices late yesterday afternoon wondering where they were going or whether they were staying put, whether to shred and pack their belongings or whether to touch nothing. The dispute is not just between Labour and National but within National too. In the past, and depending on the numbers involved, there has tended to be a straight swap between incoming and outgoing Governments. But this time Labour members want to hang on to the suite of rooms on the second floor landing for the Whips, that its Whips had in Opposition. Also, instead of

wanting to shift into more spacious quarters of the Government’s research bureau, the Labour research bureau wants a more central and less gloomy site on the second floor. National members, who as Government backbenchers occupied the annexe next to the General Assembly Library, are being invited to keep the annexe while in Opposition. As if that were not causing enough confusion, some former Cabinet Ministers vacating the Beehive are laying claim to the best Opposition rooms, to the annoyance of National backbenchers. The dispute so far has been between the two sets of Whips, National and Labour as to who should go where. National has taken Mr D. C. McKinnon, Senior Whip, and Mr M. H. Cox, Junior Whip, into Opposition, but Labour has two new Whips, Dr M. J. Cullen (senior) and Ms Fran Wilde (junior), who have just assumed office

and are feeling their way. The good relationship between the former Labour Whips and the same National Whips has gone, and a new relationship still needs to be built Ultimate responsibility for office allocation will rest with the new Minister in charge of the Legislative Department, Mr Palmer, and not with either set of Whips. But he will not be sworn in until this afternoon and so has no authority yet. The outgoing Minister in charge is Sir Robert Muldoon, who has matters such as the transfer of power and challenges being mounted, against him at National’s Dominion Council and annual conference this week-end to worry about. The result is a hiccup in the transfer of office space which is interfering with the smooth transition of power. It may not be very important, but it is irritating those involved.