Foreign Affairs Remits Shelved

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31060, 16 May 1966, Page 7

Foreign Affairs Remits Shelved

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, May 15. With the support of the party leader (Mr Kirk) and on the motion of Mr T. M. Hill (Shipwrights’ Union) the Labour Party on Friday decided not to discuss remits on external affairs. Mr Hill’s motion to refer the 28 remits and recommenaations from the conference’s external affairs committee to the policy committee of the party was seconded by Mr A.

J. Neary (Wellington Rubber Workers’ Union). The conference would have complete confidence in the policy committee, said Mr Hill.

It would be foolish at this stage to commit the party to a policy without knowing what the world situation would be during the election campaign, said Mr Neary. Mr L. A. Beckett (Quay street branch) protested that only one item among the remits—that covered by the Joint Council of Labour statement on Vietnam—had been discussed by the conference. Mr Kirk said that the decision rested with the conference. It might suit the conference to refer the committee’s report on the remits to the policy committee in view of the situation that had grown up in connexion with the press—not with the reporting of the conference, but with the presentation of reports. "If this Is referred to the policy committee any decision would not be in conflict with the Joint Council’s statement. Any contentious decision would be resolved.” he said. The report contained four remits on Vietnam, seeking increased efforts for negotiations, for the reconvening of the Geneva conference, for the cessation of bombing, and for increased medical assistance.

The committee recommended the rejection of remits rejecting the establishment of military bases in New Zealand, refusing to enter "unilateral alliances,” in favour of adopting an independent foreign policy, and refusing to export arms to any country or to supply military aid. Other remits urged the giving of aid to under-developed countries, opposed nuclear testing, sought the review of the S.E.A.T.O. and A.N.Z.U.S. agreements, denounced racial discrimination in sport, preferred the purchase of British aircraft by New Zealand, and supported a pay review of the armed services. The vote to deny conference

discussion was taken on the voices.

Many delegates protested at Mr IBM’s motion. When the final committee report on justice, electoral and licensing matters was introduced, Mr W. Montgomerie (Papatoetoe) moved that it be referred to the policy committee. "If the conference is

to be by-passed on such an important matter as external affairs, we might as well throw it over,” he said. “If he feels the conference has been by-passed,” said Mr Kirk, “that is because the conference has decided it.” On Wednesday, after union representatives had urged the conference to reject an addi-

tion to the joint statement on Vietnam, Mr Kirk objected to a change in the agenda which would have given external affairs a more prominent place on the order paper. Mr Kirk said the order of reports had been arranged in accordance with wishes expressed at the last conference, and he did not wish to see the desire of conference upset by bringing external affairs to the top of the agenda. On Friday morning, 40 minutes before the luncheon adjournment, Mr Kirk announced that the chairman of the external affairs committee, Mr W. E. Rowling, M.P., had to catch an aircraft to the South Island during the lunch hour. He would, therefore, invite the conference to reverse the order of the last two reports so that the report could be discussed under Mr Rowling’s chairmanship. The conference accepted this proposal, but when the report papers had been distributed, Mr Hill was already at the speaker's rostrum to move that the report be referred to the policy committee. The conference then accepted the substitution of the chairman of the justice committee, Mr J. H. Collins, who had been suffering from a throat infection throughout the week, by Dr. A. M. Finlay, M.P., and proceeded to discuss the last committee’s report.