Rotary address scrapped by P.M.

Press, 2 September 1986, Page 1

Rotary address scrapped by P.M.

PA Auckland The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, has decided not to address any more Rotary clubs or other groups which he considers discriminate against women. Rotarians say they are surprised, but not peeved, by his decision. Mr Lange said that he would no longer‘make his traditional State of the Nation speech in January to the Rotary Club of Whakatane as he has done for the last three years.

Instead, he will look for “an appropriate venue,” which “could be a party thing.” “It is a way of making money (for the party),” Mr Lange said. The district governor of Rotary, Mr Ken Winter, says he is not at all perturbed about Mr Lange’s decision. Rotary could get other speakers who were “just as gOod ... and last longer than politicans,” Mr Winter said.

Mr Lange’s comments followed up a vote at the Labour Party conference on Saturday that in future the State of the Nation speech should be made in front' of “a representative audience.”

A Whakatane delegate at the conference, Mr Bruce Fraser, argued against the remit, saying the local Labour Party would not be able to get as big an audience for Mr Lange in the town as the Rotary Club could. Moreover, he said, the local Rotary club did actually contain many women, as well as many Labour Party members.