Moyle London post idea wrong—P.M.

Press, 12 August 1985, Page 4

Moyle London post idea wrong —P.M.

PA Auckland The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, has dismissed speculation by a National Party official that Mr Colin Moyle will be New Zealand’s next high commissioner in London.

Mr Moyle’s wife, Millicent, speaking last evening from the Northland farm she runs with her husband, who is Minister of Agriculture, said: “There is no truth in the story. He was as surprised to hear it as I was.”

The idea of Mr Moyle as a successor to the late Mr Joe Walding was raised at the week-end by the chairman of the Auckland division of the National Party, Dr Ross Armstrong. Dr Armstrong, a fish exporter, said Mr Moyle’s name was mentioned in primary trade circles and by “high-level” Rural Bank

staff. Mr Moyle is Minister in charge of the bank.

The London post has been vacant since Mr Walding, a Minister in the Kirk Labour Government, died in June. Dismissing reports that Mr Moyle was next in line, Mr Lange described them as “completely, devastatingly wrong.” Mr Moyle was travelling last evening and could not be reached for comment.

However, Mrs Moyle said: “He has no desire to go to London. He has his hands full as Minister. We don’t know where the story came from, and we are quite happy here.” Dr Armstrong last evening insisted that Mr Moyle was mentioned by top trade and Government figures whom he declined to identify. He said exporters of primary products would welcome Mr Moyle in the

job, because he had a grasp of complex trade issues. He doubted top public servants had the similar range of experience, particularly on European agricultural protectionism.

Dr Armstrong denied he had raised the issue to put pressure on Mr Moyle. He said that as an elected party official he had a duty to discuss matters he heard which had political ramifications.

As a result, a special party dinner in Mr Moyle’s Otara electorate, attended by 85 National backers, discussed it on Saturday evening and would be ready to fight any by-election. Dr Armstrong said a National victory in the seat, which would require a 22 per cent swing against Labour, was not out of the question. The Timaru result showed a volatile mood in the electorate.