Buck denies she would snub Queen

Press, 28 June 1989, Page 1

Buck denies she would snub Queen

By

KAY FORRESTER

The Queen can be assured of a warm welcome in Christchurch next year, whoever wins the mayoral election. The independent candidate in the race, Ms Vicki Buck, scoffed yesterday at the suggestion that if she were elected mayor she might not be prepared to host the Queen at a civic reception. Sir Hamish Hay, who has several times entertained members of the Royal Family in his 15 years as Mayor, queried whether Ms Buck’s previous anti-monar-chy stand would mean she would be absent from a civic reception for the Queen.

He suggested Ms Buck might find such a reception boring and dull — “to use her favourite

words.” Sir Hamish said Ms Buck had declined to attend Royal functions in the past because she “didn’t really believe in the monarchy” and she believed that hosting Royal functions was an “incredible waste of money.” Ms Buck acknowledged that she had suggested Royal functions were a waste of money when she first became a councillor at the age of 19. She said she would have no difficulty hosting any member of the Royal Family who visited Christchurch “I think that’s a reasonable expectation of the Mayor by the city,” she said. “In fact, I’m looking forward to welcoming the Queen.”