Boycott of Games unlikely—Palmer

Press, 23 October 1989, Page 6

Boycott of Games unlikely—Palmer

Any boycott of the Auckland Commonwealth Games seems unlikely, says the Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, following a round of meetings with Commonwealth leaders.

Mr Palmer has shared the diplomatic lobbying against any boycott with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Marshall, who is also in Malaysia during the Commonwealth heads of Government meeting.

“I haven’t been able to find any trouble,” said Mr Palmer yesterday. Mr Marshall said Nigeria, in the past a key element in boycotts, had offered to speak up for New Zealand if any threat loomed.

At this point the tiny Carribbean state of Guyana is the only Commonwealth country not planning to take up its invitation to come to New Zealand. But this is because of the cost. Mr Marshall said before leaving New Zealand he had spoken to the chairman of the Commonwealth Games Committee, Mr David Johnson, who had told him that assistance beyond the 25 per cent subsidy provided to smaller countries was possible.

This information had been conveyed to Guyana’s President Hoyte while in Kuala Lumpur, who had pledged to reconsider attending. “It wouild be just nice to have everybody there,” said Mr Marshall.