Prebble on collision course?

Press, 2 May 1988, Page 9

Prebble on collision course?

PA Auckland The Minister for StateOwned Enterprise and member of Parliament for Auckland Central, Mr Richard Prebble, and his supporters in his electorate appear to be on a collision course with Labour Party structures. His local electorate machine’s refusal on Saturday to allow voting at the electorate’s annual meeting, in defiance of a top-level party decision, is considered likely to result in an investigation by the party’s New Zealand Council.

This could place Mr Prebble at odds with his senior Cabinet colleagues, Including the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer.

They may attend council meetings but cannot vote. The council will meet later in the month.

Months of political struggle for control of the Auckland Central electorate machine came to a head at the week-end meeting. Mr Prebble’s backers defied a Labour Party executive ruling to decide the membership of the machine by ballot,, and declared instead that office-holders had been elected unopposed.

The decision was made after a membership check of about 100 Auckland Central supporters indicated that numbers were against Mr Prebble by about two to one.

Voting at the meeting

could have ended "Mr Prebble’s control of the Labour electorate com-, mittee and put his future* selection as candidate at, risk.

Hostile exchanges resulted from the committee’s announcement by the chairman, Mr Henry Robinson, that the existing committee retained power. *’.*

Mr Robinson last evening declined to discuss the meeting. The party executive had ruled that a ticket’ organised by Prebble opponents was valid and that a vote was required: 1 By defying the executive decision, Mr Robin-' son blocked the challengers but also ensured j that appeals would follow/ The anti-Prebble campclaimed the ruling was a. big blunder because it was against the constitution.

Those present at theclosed meeting said Mr! Fred Anderson, the' party’s junior vice-presi-dent, who was attending as an executive-appointed returning officer, was staggered by the outcome. Near the end he apparently turned to people nearby, after a discussion with Mr Prebble, and said, “Ladies and gentleman, I’ve been told I’m trespassing.” Mr Prebble was not available last evening for comment. After the meeting he indicated his opponents were prepared to take the matter to court.