Joint Submissions On E.E.C. Proposed

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31120, 25 July 1966, Page 14

Joint Submissions On E.E.C. Proposed

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 24. Mr A. H. Nordmeyer, Labour M.P. for Island Bay, said today he would try to arrange joint Government and Opposition representations to British parliamentarians on New Zealand’s Common Market problems.

Mr Nordmeyer returned to, Wellington last night after a six-week trip to Britain, which included visits to the United States, Italy, Israel, Hong Kong and Singapore. He and Mr A. E. Allen (Govt., Franklin) were New Zealand delegates to the annual meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in London. Mr Nordmeyer also met senior British Cabinet ministers, including the Prime Minister (Mr Wilson) and discussed the effects on New Zealand of British membership of the E.E.C. without adequate safeguards for the Commonwealth. Mr Nordmeyer said he found that British ministers fully understood New Zealand’s

position, but this could not be said of most rank and file parliamentarians, though some back-benchers were wellinformed. “I hope that before the time comes to make any real decisions—and it seems to be some distance off—an opportunity will be taken to present the New Zealand point of view,” he said. ' He would discuss the possibility of a joint approach with Opposition and Government members in Wellington, and he hoped that participation by the New Zealand Labour Opposition would gain some sympathy with a British Labour Government. Mr Nordmeyer said he thought the recently-signed trade agreement with Britain was a good deal, though the fact that it extended New Zealand’s rights only till 1972 suggested that the British might not be enthuiastic about