Compromise ‘rejected’

Press, 28 January 1986, Page 1

Compromise ‘rejected’

The Ministry had rejected his compromise suggestion that the course be attended by an officer already based in London or Washington in order to cut the expense, he said.

Mr O’Flynn said Mr Lange had then directed him to allow the posting “because it was very important to maintain good relations with Canada and the issue threatened to become an irritant.” In response to questions, Mr Lange said foreign policy considerations overrode other issues “in some matters.”

Mr Lange said if the disregard for Ministerial authority alleged by Mr

O’Flynn were established “it can’t be allowed to go on.”

He described the relationship between Mr O’Flynn and the Ministry as “proper.” He and Mr O’Flynn noted a difficulty in stopping information leaks through identifying and punishing the culprits.

The public Service had to depend more on a “code of honour” by its members, Mr Lange said. Mr O’Flynn said the majority of those in his Ministry were “loyally trying to carry out the Government policy though I know many of them are doubtful of its wisdom.”

The Government would not give in to “blackmail” through publicity by those opposed to its policy.

In his statement, Mr O’Flynn went to some lengths to give his view of the replacement of the Army’s ageing field guns and the purchase of a tug by the Navy from the Timaru Harbour Board. These and other aspects of the state of the Armed Forces were the subject of an article, based largely on attributed sources, in the “Evening Post” newspaper and distributed through the Press Association last week.

(The editor of the Press Association, Mr Derek Round, said last evening

that at the time the report was received from the “Evening Post,” the Press Association had not been advised that Mr O'Flynn had warned that the report contained inaccuracies.) Mr O’Flynn’s comments had been unsuccessfully sought since. Mr O’Flynn said he had become an “obvious target of media criticism.” He said this was why he had been “forced” to restrict his contact with the news media. Mr O’Flynn has not given interviews to reporters since the middle of last year, and will only provide answers to questions presented to his office in writing.