I'll go, police chief told Muldoon

By EUGENE BINGHAM

Confidential cabinet papers from 1981 have revealed how then-Police Commissioner Bob Walton offered to quit over the cancellation of the Springbok-Waikato rugby match.

As former demonstrators gather in Auckland today to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1981 South African rugby tour, documents obtained by the Weekend Herald shed new light on the level of tension that existed at the top of the Government and the police.

In a report to the cabinet on the upheaval that led to the Hamilton match being cancelled, Mr Walton said he would grudgingly step aside if the Government wanted.

"I would point out that I am due to retire ... on 8 December this year and with annual leave due could finish now," said the report.

"I do not wish to do so and prefer to retire in December, but should the Government consider it desirable I will give earnest consideration to vacating the office at any time considered necessary for the well-being of the police and policing."

The report was written 20 years ago yesterday in the aftermath of Mr Walton's decision to urge rugby officials to abandon the Hamilton game when protesters invaded the pitch and a pilot threatened to fly his plane into the grandstand.

There was widespread criticism of the decision, but Mr Walton said yesterday that he had not come under any Government pressure to tender his resignation.

"I think they accepted that I had no choice at Hamilton," said Mr Walton, who went on to lead the police for another two years.

Mr Walton yesterday also denied claims by former Red Squad senior sergeant and ex-MP Ross Meurant that police tactics hardened after the Hamilton game as a result of political interference.

"I got no political interference whatsoever ... Mr Meurant can say what he likes," said Mr Walton.

In claims first made last month and then repeated this week, Mr Meurant said he spoke to an unnamed National cabinet minister after the Hamilton game and was contacted by Sir Robert Muldoon, then Prime Minister.

"As a result of my exposure to some senior politicians at the time, there's no doubt in my mind that there were some very strong political directions given."

Cabinet papers released under the Official Information Act show the Government agreed to give the police extra resources to maintain public order, including the support of the Ministry of Defence.

It also set up a special committee to deal with law and order.

The committee held meetings with pro- and anti-tour leaders in failed attempts to find a compromise solution.

The Police Association suggested "postponing" the remainder of the tour and replacing it with a one-off match.

Race Relations Conciliator Hiwi Tauroa proposed allowing anti-apartheid statements to be read at the start of each game and replacing the last test match with a nationwide anti-apartheid march.

The papers also reveal details of a heated meeting in London between Sir Robert and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr (later Sir) Sridath "Sonny" Ramphal, before the tour.

Mr Ramphal set out the concerns of Commonwealth countries and warned that Nigeria was calling for New Zealand to miss out on the planned 1981 Commonwealth Forum Meeting if the tour went ahead.

Sir Robert said he found it hypocritical of the African countries to criticise New Zealand.

"[Sir Robert] recalled having sat side-by-side at previous meetings with a Nigerian minister who was known to have participated in the Biafran genocide and on another occasion with an African finance minister who had been responsible for the execution of his predecessor," said a copy of the meeting minutes, marked "Confidential - New Zealand Eyes Only."