Beehive stint for Burgess at end?

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 1

Beehive stint for Burgess at end?

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

Events in Parliament yesterday all tended to confirm the now widespread belief that Mr Bevan Burgess, the chief press officer of the Minister of Finance, has been taken out by the Prime Minister. Only one thing might save Mr Burgess from the Prime Minister’s campaign to ensure his contract was not renewed and that he leaves the Beehive.

That would be if Mr Burgess took legal action and sought a writ against Mr Lange and the Government’s Ministerial Services for wrongful dismissal.

It was revealed to “The Press” that advice along these lines was being given to Mr Burgess. Otherwise there was no way of stopping the consequences of the notice two weeks ago to Mr Burgess that his contract to work with the Minister of Finance, Mr Douglas, had not been renewed. It has emerged that Mr Burgess has been given a three-month period of grace before his employment ends and it is not clear how this would work.

Neither Mr Burgess, Mr Douglas nor Mr Lange would add anything yesterday to what was already known.

Mr Douglas met Mr Lange in the morning, but the only version of that meeting was from Mr Lange, who said Mr Douglas had briefed him on his two-week trip overseas with Mr Burgess. After a two-hour Labour caucus meeting, Mr Douglas would only say “no comment” to the crowd of journalists outside the caucus room. Mr Lange was only slightly more forthcoming.

He said he was not a personnel manager and would not comment on staff matters. He said that his leadership had not been discussed at the caucus. Mr Lange then turned his back on the impromptu press conference outside the caucus room, and walked off down the corridor pursued by a pack of reporters continuing to put questions to him. Later in the House, Mr Douglas responded to questions on the issue from the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger. “I regard matters involving my staff as strictly personal and confidential,” he said, but also gave Mr Burgess a glowing testimonial as a loyal and hard-working employee. When again pressed by Mr Bolger to comment on Mr Burgess’s future, he would not, and Mr Bolger commented: “Rolled again Roger.” By last evening there was growing sympathy for Mr Burgess around Parliament, but also a growing acceptance among the doubters that Mr Lange had had his way and run over a man he has publicly identified as being one he regards as being involved in a year-long campaign to destabilise him. Attention was turning to the political consequences for Mr Douglas of losing Mr Burgess to a Prime Minister who had already sacked another close ally — the former Cabinet Minister, Mr Prebble.

CORRECTION: A passage in our report on Tuesday concerning Mr Burgess’s position as a press officer for the Minister of Finance contained a mention of “Mr Douglas’s press officers.” This should have read: “press officer.” The item referred to only one of Mr Douglas’s staff.

P.S.A.’s view, page 6