Bank posting ‘sop to Left’

Press, 7 February 1985, Page 9

Bank posting ‘sop to Left’

PA Auckland The appointment of the unionist, Mr Rob Campbell, to the Bank of New Zealand board is a “sop to the extreme Left,” says the former National Party leader, Sir Robert Muldoon. Mr Campbell’s appointment to the seven-member board, with Mr Ron Brierley, was announced on Tuesday by the Minister of Finance, Mr Douglas. A former university lecturer in economics, Mr Campbell is the secretary of the Distribution Unions and an executive member of the Federation of Labour.

Mr Brierley is chairman of Brierley Investments, Ltd, and Industrial Equity, Ltd, and a director of many New Zealand companies. Sir Robert said yesterday that while Mr Brierley was a man of great ability and obviously qualified to be on the bank’s board, Mr Campbell’s appointment was nothing more than a gesture.

The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, was in big trouble with the Left wing of the Labour Party over economic policies, he said. “So they are simply saying, ‘He (Mr Campbell) cannot do any harm on the board, we will just make this gesture.’ “He cannot do anything. Mr Brierley will cancel his vote out before you even start considering the other members of the board. “Obviously one member

with extreme Socialist views will have no influence on the remainder of the board and management of the 8.N.Z.”

That Mr Campbell had been critical of Mr Douglas’s economic views in the past just confirmed that his appointment was nothing more than a sop to the extreme Left, said Sir Robert.

Mr Campbell said yesterday that his and Mr Brierley’s appointments were intended to inject a new outlook to the bank’s management

“It remains to be seen whether Mr Brierley and I would end up voting against each other. That our outlooks are different should be a strength rather than a weakness,” Mr Campbell said. “I do not see my role there to cancel out Mr Brierley’s vote and I am sure he does not see his role there to cancel out mine.” Mr Campbell said that his being relatively young (aged 34) to go on the board and accountable for his actions to the trade union movementwere positive aspects

of his appointment. The secretary of the Bank Officers’ Union, Mr Don Aimer, has welcomed the appointment of Mr Campbell. Mr Aimer said the union would expect to maintain close contact with Mr Campbell to ensure that employee viewpoints were considered at board level. Mr Campbell was well placed to ensure that issues such as technological development and equality for women, now of concern to bank staff, were given proper consideration.