Ben Couch was minister of police in 1981, and had to therefore deal with the violent protest thrown up by anti-tour supporters. He was Maori, and a previous All Black whose career had been affected by apartheid policy when he was taken out of contention to be selected for one of the tours to South Africa. However, he believed strongly in rugby ties with South Africa, and his attitude to the problem was that apartheid was a policy of South Africa, New Zealand should not have to politically intervene, and that sports teams of each nation should be free to choose whether or not contact should be made. He also believed, maybe naively, that rugby contact with New Zealand could promote change for the better in South African attitudes and policy.
In the 1981 protests, Couch saw the role of police and his own role as minister as simply to uphold the law by maintaining order. Because of this view, and his belief that tour matches had a legal and moral right to go ahead, meant that he backed the police in using all lawful means to defeat the protestors, who in his eyes had chosen a violent approach.
This view meant that police received assurance they could use any way necessary to remove protestors, and this meant that the police reaction was much more violent than it otherwise could have been. This meant Couch was a key player in the pro-tour movement, as he allowed for more violent reaction from police. His views were widely criticised by Maori and Pakeha anti-tour supporters, but were also respected by others, pro-tour and generally rural.
In the 1981 protests, Couch saw the role of police and his own role as minister as simply to uphold the law by maintaining order. Because of this view, and his belief that tour matches had a legal and moral right to go ahead, meant that he backed the police in using all lawful means to defeat the protestors, who in his eyes had chosen a violent approach.
This view meant that police received assurance they could use any way necessary to remove protestors, and this meant that the police reaction was much more violent than it otherwise could have been. This meant Couch was a key player in the pro-tour movement, as he allowed for more violent reaction from police. His views were widely criticised by Maori and Pakeha anti-tour supporters, but were also respected by others, pro-tour and generally rural.