Court finds for Prebble

Press, 18 March 1989, Page 2

Court finds for Prebble

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington The dismissed Labour Cabinet Minister, Mr Prebble (Auckland Central), has won the latest round in his long-running battle with the Labour Party organisation and the trade union movement. The High Court in Auckland yesterday awarded costs sought by Mr Prebble and his Labour electorate committee (L.E.C.). Mr Prebble and his committee had forced the unions and the executive of the party to undertake Orders of Discovery. They have been awarded costs against the Hotel Workers’ Union, certain named individuals described as “a workers’ branch,” and against the executive and council of the party.

The High Court has set down a court hearing in chambers for April 21 for an application by Mr Prebble t and his committee for further J Orders of Discovery. a “The L.E.C. and I will be seeking e the union membership rules from e the Hotel Workers’ Union to justify the incredible number of delegates ;- that union claims it is entitled to at r Auckland Central electorate meete ings,” Mr Prebble said. “None of the unions has produced e any documents to indicate that any e elections as required by Labour e Party rules were held to elect the union delegates. s “We will be requiring the union i, to produce records of an election d or, alternatively, admit that no it election was held,” he said. e Mr Prebble said the High Court decision yesterday vindicated taking

the matter to court. Neither the executive committee nor the council of the Labour Party had been willing to investigate allegations of serious irregularities in the way unions were sending delegates to the L.E.C.

“Documents which we have received so far indicate our allegations are fully justified,” Mr Prebble said. “Hopefully the awarding of costs will bring the parties to their senses.”

The president of the Labour Party, Ms Ruth Dyson, and its secretary, Mr Tony Timms, were both driving from Wellington to Rotorua last evening — to attend the party’s first regional conference there. Neither could be reached for comment on the High Court decision.