First part of programme missing. Star British interviewer David Frost chairs a debate on the ‘the state of the unions’ in New Zealand. He is seated, between Leader of the Opposition Robert Muldoon and trade unionist Tom Skinner, in front of a lively studio audience drawn from unions, the Labour Party and the National Party. Questions and interjections in this excerpt came from Labour MP Mike Moore, and trade unionist Tom Neary.
“Originally the programme had been designed as a debate between [Prime Minister Norman] Kirk and Muldoon ... Kirk, however was too ill, and Skinner took his place. When Muldoon started to overwhelm Skinner, [trade unionists Bill] Andersen and Neary ... both started to interject and were soon involved in angry exchanges with Muldoon. Pandemonium reigned ... Frost and the unionists challenged Muldoon to produce evidence which he claimed to have of intimidation and ballot-rigging in union affairs ...” - Barry Gustafason, “His Way: A Biography of Robert Muldoon” (Auckland University Press, 2013); p.86.
Recorded on the afternoon of Sunday 25 August 1974 and broadcast two weeks later
The previous year, Frost had interviewed Prime Minister Norman Kirk and then-Leader of the Opposition Jack Marshall for ‘The Leaders’ episode [in the first series] of “Frost Over New Zealand”.