Massey holds Lange tribute speech comp

Massey University is holding a speech-writing competition in honour of former Prime Minister the late David Lange.

Competition organiser Heather Kavan, a lecturer in the Department of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, said two prizes of $1000 were being offered to the writers of the best speeches containing the term "hold your breath", used in Mr Lange's address at the 1985 Oxford Union debate.

Mr Lange said to a young American man on the opposing panel: "And I'm going to give it to you, if you hold your breath just for a moment. I can smell the uranium on it as you lean forward."