‘Clark as Peron, Palmer as Goodman’

Press, 23 September 1989, Page 7

‘Clark as Peron, Palmer as Goodman’

By

BRENDON BURNS

in Wellington

Helen Clark as Eva Peron and Geoffrey Palmer playing Benny Goodman featured in a showbiz scenario presented to Parliament during the Wednesday debate by an Opposition member of Parliament, Mr Paul East. Mr East, tongue sometimes firmly in cheek but often spraying political invective, said the Government’s public relations machine had been working overtime on the images of the new leadership team. He said Mr Palmer’s trumpetplaying performance with a jazzman, Acker Bilk, was a command performance. “We saw him on the ‘Holmes’ show trying to pass himself off

as some sort of anorexic Benny Goodman.” Mr East said the Labour caucus had made a grave mistake in turning down Mr Mike Moore as the next Prime Minister. Mr Moore was truly a man of the people, while Mr Palmer was having to resort to bogus image-making. What next? asked Mr East. “Are we going to have him bungee jumping in the Manawatu gorge with the member for Christchurch North (Mr Moore) holding the rope?” The Deputy Prime Minister,' Ms Clark, fared no better in his assessment. He said she had a lifestyle of Gucci shoes and designer clothes. In a recent interview, Ms Clark had admitted to not shop-

' ping in public, but having designer boutiques open their doors after hours. “A kind of antipodean Eva Peron,” was Mr i East’s description. Neither of the two new leaders had had to struggle. f Both had always held comfortable tax-paid jobs. ’ Mr East then stepped up his attack, saying Mr Palmer had been a failure at everything he ' had tackled. Mr Palmer had been the weakest Minister of Justice in New Zealand history, presiding over an eruption in grievous ! harm and violent crime. j Maori expectations had built 1 up under Mr Palmer. Now the Government was involved in the ; biggest retreat since Dunkirk. The Great Quango Hunt

launched in quixotic style had seen more quangos created. The pledge to introduce proportional representation had been abandoned — “a piecrust promise, made to be broken,” Mr East said. Labour’s promises were about as reliable as a Goldcorp share certificate. While companies such as Landbase and R.S.L. collapsed, Mr Palmer had done nothing. Thousands of small investors had lost their savings, Mr East said. Mr Moore, following Mr East in debate, said the National member of Parliament was just envious of Mr Palmer because he could play in tune. Mr East had criticised Labour’s leadership but not given one word of support to his own party’s, Mr Moore said.