John A. Lee attack raised

Press, 9 November 1988, Page 9

John A. Lee attack raised

By

BRENDON BURNS,

political reporter Labour rebel John A. Lee’s attack on the ailing Labour Prime Minister, Michael Savage, was dusted off by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, yesterday and compared with modern day political events. Mr Bolger signalled the Opposition plans to not only target the disunity in Government ranks expressed by Mr Prebble’s sacking, but to repeat the questions raised about Mr Lange’s rationality and health aired by Mr Prebble. Mr Bolger quoted a John A. Lee pamphlet which said it was astounding how a political party’s fate was determined by the illness “and resultant pathology” of a leader. He repeated Mr Prebble’s reporting of a conversation with Mr Lange, who was said to have confessed the assets sales issue was gnawing at him, prevening him from

sleeping and killing him. “Is the real reason for the sacking simply because the Prime Minister is now irrational? Have the pressures of running the country become too much,” Mr Bolger asked. The torpedoing of the December 17 statement was clearly an irrational act, as this occurred little more than a month after Mr Lange announced the package. The June speech about a potential Budget blowout was also said to be irrational. What was emerging was a Prime Minister, who on the admission of a colleague, "was bucking under the strain of office and was clearly at variance with his Cabinet’s policies, said Mr Bolger. Mr Bolger called on the Government to resign. It had not had a mandate to sell assets and its bitter internal dispute was damaging the confidence and prosperity of all New Zealanders.