Mr de Cleene called ‘unwise’ on Terris case

Press, 1 February 1986, Page 3

Mr de Cleene called ‘unwise’ on Terris case

PA . Wellington The Opposition, justice spokesman, Mr Paul East, said yesterday that it had been most unwise of the Finance Under-Secretary, Mr de Cleene, to get involved in court proceedings brought against the Deputy Speaker, John Terris.

Mr de Cleene asked Ministry of Transport officials to outline to him their • drink-driving case against Mr Terris, before the Wellington court hearing, the "Dominion” newspaper reported. Mr East said yesterday he was not suggesting that Mr de Cleene had used undue Influence, but by involving himself in the case such a possibility was raised in the public mind. Mr East said a Parliamentary Under-Secretary held a warrant of appointment from the Crown and was in a different position from ordinary backbench members of Parliament An Under-Secretary was a member of the Government and should not involve himself in court proceedings, Mr East said. Mr Terris should have known better and if he needed legal advice should have hired

a different lawyer. Mr de Cleene, the member for Palmerston North, told the “Dominion” that his request had no political interference. He had been acting as Mr Tertis’s barrister and his friend. The charges against Mr Terris, heard before the District Court at Wellington, were caEed first on the list. Mr de Cleene said he had telephoned the Ministry of Transport to see if it would bring the case up the list so he and Mr Terris would not have to wait in court all day. He said it was no more than any member of the public, represented by a barrister, would be given by the Court to stop them waiting all day while the unheard list was called. ’ Mr Terris, the Labour member for Western Hutt and Chairman of Committees, admitted driving with an excess breathalcohol level. He was disqualified from driving for six months and fined $2OO with $35 costs. He represented himself at the hearing while Mr de Cleene sat in court. Mr de Cleene said he had advised Mr Terris on the case. Mr de Cleene told the

"Dominion” that Mr Terris had decided to represent himself in court. "I think Mr Terris wanted to face up to the situation and didn’t want to claim any privileges or appear to do so,” Mr de Cleene said. A senior chief traffic officer, Mr Dave Allo, told the “Dominion” that the case had not bee;: brought forward to avoid the news media. “We try to assist people as much as we can,” he said. Mr de Cleene said he had telephoned the Ministry of Transport and had asked what the summary of Mr Terris’s case would be. The only thing he had said was: “Would you emphasise the fact, as was in the summary contained, that he was co-operative and that there was no danger to anybody?” “They said that if we said there was no danger — or Mr Terris said it — they would agree with that. That’s all that happened,” Mr de Cleene said. “Neither the Prime Minister, the Minister, nor anybody else even knew, as far as I know, that Mr Terris was in court.”