Mount Eden Prison, Auckland, at it appears today.
"It appears we are in something a quandary," said Ronald Algie.
The Big Three (as Sidney Holland mentally referred to himself, Campbell, and Algie), had gathered in the Prime Ministerial office to consider the captured Lee. Far more than any Cabinet meeting, this was where true power within the new Government lay: Holland had little time for first-amongst-equals nonsense. George Forbes had tried that, and look where it got him! No, a Prime Minister had to be active, lead from the front, and take the advice of a small group of advisers. Algie was the brains of the operation, Campbell was the muscle. All in all, it was a quite satisfactory arrangement, though the likes of Bill Sullivan looked on with jealousy from time to time.
"Up shit creek without a paddle," suggested Eric Campbell.
The difficulty was this: Holland had secretly assured the Americans that Lee and the rest of the captured Red leadership would not be executed. Except that Algie (in consultation with Jack Marshall, the Attorney-General) had pointed out that under the High Treason Act 1870, treason in New Zealand carried a mandatory death penalty. Any commutation of sentence would have to be approved by Cabinet - and no-one outside this room knew of the American deal. Holland did not want to allow knowledge of such a sensitive issue beyond his treasured Big Three. But how to convince Cabinet to do as they were told without spilling the beans? Ordering them to do as he said would simply result in a group of disappointed and confused rebel Ministers, or worse, those Ministers might think to overrule their leader in the name of vengeance. Jack Marshall, for one, was very keen seeing Lee hang, and that blasted lawyer knew a thing or two about debate. No, the arguments for any commutation plan must be water-tight.
"Perhaps we could say that it would make us look reasonable and magnanimous?" said Algie.
Campbell nodded. "A good way to fob off our "friendly" occupiers. The sooner they're convinced we aren't bloodthirsty savages, the sooner they'll leave us alone."
Even though the Occupation was the price of victory, it still grated. It was bad enough having Ben Chifley urge the rehabilitation of the Labour Party and the formation of a Unity Government until elections could be held - as if even Walter Nash would want any part of that!
"Treason is treason," said Holland. "It's not as if the British shirk at enforcing the penalty on that. Look at that Lord Haw Haw business last year. No, we have to somehow make commutation seem a punishment worse than death."
"Mount Eden is tough," said Eric Campbell. "I know from personal experience."
"But it's not tough enough," said Holland. "Besides, there's always the possibility of this Muldoon fellow organising a prison break."
Algie blinked. "What is the update on Muldoon?"
"No idea," said Holland. "For all I know, he's smuggled himself aboard the boat with Rex Mason."
Campbell jerked up. "What if we build a tougher prison - just for Lee and friends. A special facility..."
"Interesting," said Holland. "Where were you thinking?"
"It couldn't be on the mainland," said Algie. "Too risky to have it near people."
"The Chatham Islands?" suggested Campbell.
"I like the sound of that," said Holland. "We'd have to move the Islanders first though."
"Eureka!" said Algie. "I have it. Let us put our former President of the Democratic Republic in special confinement... on the Auckland Islands."
"The where?" said Campbell.
"Is there an atlas around here, Sidney? Ah, thank you. Now... here we are."
The Auckland Islands, relative to New Zealand
The Auckland Islands, in detail.
Algie pointed. "Quite remote, as you can see. Uninhabited these days, though I do believe there were attempts at a colony many years ago. No need to move any Islanders, no need to worry about escapes. And I would think that exile to a subantarctic island group would be enough to convince Jack Marshall and his ilk that sometimes life is worse than death."
Thus the Auckland Islands Prison was born. Or, as it became known to the international protest movement of the 1970s: the literal Gulag Archipelago.
