Guns for defence out — Palmer

Press, 25 September 1989, Page 8

Guns for defence out — Palmer

By

BRENDON BURNS

in Wellington People who used guns to’ defend themselves believing they would not be charged would end up in jail, the Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, said last evening. Mr Palmer issued the warning in a wide-ranging “Frontline” television interview which also covered whether he believed in God or had smoked marijuana. He was not sure about God, but was affirmative to never having sampled the drug. Commenting on the decision not to charge Mr Mark Williams, the Auckland man

who shot dead a burglar, Mr Palmer said the law on selfdefence was clear. If the facts about self-defence were evident to the police and a Crown solicitor, he said, it could be seen why there had been no decision to prosecute. He warned people against interpreting this to mean they could arm themselves. “If New Zealanders think they can do that as a result of this decision, they’re going to end up in jail in large numbers, I’m afraid, because they would be committing criminal offences.” Mr Palmer said the use of force was legally dangerous. “It would be a very great

mistake for people to take from this decision that they can start shooting people.” Earlier, the interviewer, Ross Stevens, had bluntly asked Mr Palmer whether he believed in God. “I don’t - know,” Mr Palmer replied. He did believe in the Christian ethic, but had difficulty with some of the theology. Some American , politicians have had careers ended by admitting to cannabis use. Mr Palmer said he had never smoked the drug, nor had he been offered it. The issue of Mr Lange’s speech to Yale University, in

which he said A.N.Z.U.S. was “dead,” was touched on in the interview. Mr Palmer was known to have been upset by the speech. Last evening he said the floating of a withdrawal from A.NZUS. was a natural implication, and exception could not be taken to the speech. But he said he had a difficulty as he had been absent from a Cabinet meeting which discussed the speech before Mr Lange went to Yale. Mr Palmer said the speech was not Government policy, and withdrawal from A.N.Z.U.S. still remained to be decided.