P.M. Accused Of Misleading House

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31080, 8 June 1966, Page 3

P.M. Accused Of Misleading House

(N’eir Zealand Press Association* WELLINGTON, June 7. Mr R. J. Tizard (Opp., Pakuranga) alleged in Parliament tonight that the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) either has misled the House or had so himself been misled over the activities of the Security Intelligence officer, Mr D. Godfrey, who had attended lectures at Auckland University. In the answers Mr Holyoake had given on Friday, he completely overlooked the issues involved, said Mr Tizard. Academic freedom was at stake. The fact that one officer of Security’ Intelligence had abused his privileges gave cause for alarm. With a “security flatfoot in there taking notes,” what student or lecturer would feel free to speak?

Mr Holyoake had said the officer attended university for his own education, but the same officer had confessed he was there by direction.

Mr Tizard said the agent had attempted to recruit a student to join a committee as secretary and turn over a copy of the minutes to him. An officer of the Students' Association had been asked to furnish the names of all students interested in a proposed Sino-Russian project. If the “fellow” in Auckland was just a “bumbling flatfoot,” what happened to his reports? Mr Tizard asked.

The Government was so obsessed with security that “spies” were sent to try to recruit others to ferret into the affairs of students. Mr Tizard said he preferred to believe that Security Intelligence officials had misled the Prime Minister. The Under-Secretary for Industries and Commerce (Mr Adams-Schneider): I want to | say that the Prime Minister ihas never, and never would, {deliberately mislead the 'House. 1 have absolute confidence in him as have the i members on this side of the I House and the people of New i Zealand. We stand for secur- ' ity in New Zealand and at

the same time for fair play. Mr Adams-Schneider said the National Party stood for the people who wanted to see democracy in the British pattern.

Most of the other speakers in the Address-in-Reply debate, which was resumed this afternoon, covered well-worn ground. Opposition speakers attacked the Government for faults in its policy and Government speakers attacked the Opposition on faults in its policy. Mr C. J. Moyle (Opp., Manukau) said farmers were dissatisfied with the Government's agricultural policy: Mr G. G. Grieve (Govt., Awarua)) pleaded for greater morality among New Zealanders: and Mr E. P. Aderman (Govt., New Plymouth) said only the United States could guarantee New Zealand’s security. Mr P. T. Watene (Opp., Eastern Maori) discussed Maori education, and the Min-

ister of Education (Mr Kinsella) discussed education.

Mr R. Macdonald (Opp., Grey Lynn) condemned the war in Vietnam—“give them butter, not bombs”—and said the Leader of the Opposition, was “a young man in a! hurry.” Mr D. J. Riddiford (Govt., Wellington Central) said Wellington had been chosen as the capital because it had a good harbour; now it needed a motorway scheme because it lacked space. Mr P. A. Amos (Opp., Manurewa) sought “a solid approach to rural education,” and the Minister of Defence (Mr Eyre) attacked Labour’s policy on Vietnam. “Our country must realise that throughout history coming events cast their shadows ahead,” said Mr Eyre. “We can, by action in our time, keep those shadows just shadows. But if we do not take action, those shadows will become a real direct menace and history would judge us as having been warned—but having not taken heed.”

Mr A. J. Faulkner (Opp. Roskill): I didn’t know Lon don could be so attractive.