Gifts will probably have to be declared

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 4

Gifts will probably have to be declared

PA Wellington Politicians who receive gifts like the diamond studded watches handed out by the Amir of Bahrain last September will probably have to declare them under the proposed register of assets and financial interests of members of Parliament. The Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, said the Brit-

ish system would be considered during studies of a register for New Zealand. There, personal gifts valued at more than £5O must be declared for the public register of politicians’ interests. New Zealand has no such rule and the reported recipients of the Amir’s gifts refused to confirm that they

received anything. Neither have they said whether they kept the gifts or passed them to anyone else. It was reported at the time that the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, and the then Governor-General, Sir David Beattie, received diamond studded gold watches, and their wives were given pearl necklaces. Police involved in the Amir’s security arrangements received cash gifts of up to $3OOO which were later pooled in a fund believed to exceed $120,000 for a police holiday resort near Auckland.