Sydenham 'outraged’ by party’s silence

Press, 1 March 1989, Page 8

Sydenham 'outraged’ by party’s silence

By

BRENDON BURNS,

political reporter The Sydenham electorate was outraged, said its member of Parliament, Mr Jim Anderton, yesterday, about the continuing silence on his position in the Government caucus. The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, could not dismiss the electorate’s concern “with a wave of the professorial hand,” he said. The Labour Party council’s ruling on Mr Anderton’s stance against the sale of the Bank of New Zealand had been reported to the Government caucus last Thursday. With Mr Anderton back in caucus, the issue could now be addressed at leisure, Mr Palmer had said. He did not see it affected Sydenham. Mr Anderton said his electorate was entitled to take the matter very seriously. “They were deprived of a member of Parliament in caucus and clearly they want it resolved properly.” The Labour Party council is understood to have ruled in favour of Mr

Anderton, but the decision is not being released to the public. Mr Palmer said the issue was best discussed between the party and caucus, not in a “boisterous” public way. Mr Anderton said he had been publicly excluded from caucus for his stand against legislation enabling the BNZ to be sold. “You can’t have a public arrest and a secret verdict.” The Labour Party president, Ms Ruth Dyson, said last evening the Labour Party council ruling would not be released publicly. “It’s an internal party matter. We’ve conveyed it to caucus.” She said she had not been involved in the earlier decision to publicly exclude Mr Anderton from caucus. Asked if she had any sympathy for Mr Anderton, Ms Dyson said, “I won’t respond to that question, sorry.” She accepted Mr Palmer’s view that the issue was one to be approached at leisure. “If Geoffrey Palmer said it, I’m sure that’s the case.”