N.Z. “Will Fit In” In Defence Plans

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30971, 29 January 1966, Page 1

N.Z. “Will Fit In” In Defence Plans

(Aeio Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, January 28. New Zealand would increase its defence expenditure and “fit it in” with the defence efforts of New Zealand’s allies, the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) said tonight. Speaking at a press conference he said that the Secretary of External Affairs (Mr A. D. Mclntosh) was already involved in departmental talks in Canberra, and had just been in touch with him by telephone.

Asked whether Britain had requested New Zealand to increase its defence commitment in the Far East, Mr Holyoake said: “Singapore has not been mentioned to us.”

Mr Holyoake reiterated that he had no doubt New Zealand would increase its defence expenditure this year.

•‘We have increased defence expenditure by 50 per cent in the last four years, and it is a very likely assumption that we will increase it again this year,” he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that Britain wanted to reduce its defence expenditure from £2,500,000,000 to £2.000,000,000. Last night Mr Holyoake announced that he would not go to Canberra for defence talks

with the Australian Prime Minister (Mr Holt) and the British Minister of Defence (Mr Healey).

Asked to comment on a report that Mr Holt had asked him to Canberra only for preliminary talks, Mr Holyoake said: “I would not go for talks just with Mr Holt if Mr Healey was there.”

The invitation which Mr Holt extended by telephone last Wednesday was for a meeting to discuss “matters of mutual interest.” It was not merely an invitation to discuss the coming defence talks.

This was made clear tonight by Mr Holyoake, who added: “I have no doubt that had I gone, defence matters would have been discussed. Mr

Holt’s invitation was to discuss matters of interest in his administration.”

Mr Holyoake said that he might yet visit Canberra for this purpose, at some date to be decided.

New Zealand will be represented at the defence talks by the Minister of Defence (Mr Eyre). During the press conference, Mr Holyoake was referred to a statement made yesterday by the president of the New Zealand Returned Services' Association (Mr Hamilton Mitchell). Mr Mitchell said that Mr Holyoake would cause further dangerous delays in New Zealand’s defence programme if he failed to attend the defence talks. “He is the one who can and should speak for the country,” Mr Mitchell said. The Prime Minister commented: ‘This is a democracy, and he is fully entitled to his opinion, even if he does not know all the facts.”