Move to strengthen P.M.’s Office

Press, 11 May 1989, Page 6

Move to strengthen P.M.’s Office

By

BRENDON BURNS

in Wellington

The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, yesterday announced two appointments which strengthen the office that provides him with advice and assistance.

Mr Simon Murdoch, a career diplomat, will take up a position on secondment as deputy director of the Prime Minister’s Office. He is said to hold responsibilities for co-ordi-nating the advisory, media relations and secretarial functions of

A partner in the Coopers and Lybrand accountancy firm, Mr Brian Roche, has joined Mr Lange’s office as a financial adviser. Mr Lange said the two new appointments would allow more co-ordination of his office. From April 1, his office has had its role formalised on the provision of advice to the Cabinet. All Cabinet papers which concern Government policies are now required to be sent at an early stage to Mr Lange’s office. It then reports the

Cabinet on the implications of any policy change. Mr Lange is known to have often felt hindered by the lack of time he had to have Cabinet papers — particularly from the Treasury — assessed by his office before decisions were made. The appointment of Mr Murdoch is seen as an attempt to reduce the role played by Dr John Henderson, director of the Prime Minister’s Office. Dr Henderson has been in charge of running the office, as well as providing policy and strategy

advice to Mr Lange. He recently travelled to both Canberra and Washington on behalf of Mr Lange, to explain the outlines of the Anzac Day speech that the Prime Minister was to give. The State Department in Washington specifically denied that Dr Henderson had given prior notice that Mr Lange would raise the prospect of New Zealand withdrawal from the A.N.Z.U.S. council. Some Government members are privately critical of the way Mr Lange’s office has been

run, particularly in recent months.

Mr Murdoch will be seconded from the Ministry of External Relations and Trade, beginning work for Mr Lange on May 22. He is now director of the Ministry’s Australian division. As such, he can be expected to be able to guide Mr Lange in the weeks ahead on the issues involved in making a decision on whether to buy Anzac frigates from Australia.

Mr Murdoch worked for Sir Robert Muldoon when he was Prime Minister between 1979 and