"Commonwealth Outmoded”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31315, 10 March 1967, Page 1

"Commonwealth Outmoded”

The Commonwealth concept was outmoded and outdated, said Mr A, B. C. Harrison, Conservative member of Parliament for Maldon, Essex, in Christchurch yesterday.

“While I appreciate Commonwealth sentiments, only strong commercial links in today’s world will really bind it,” he said in an interview yesterday. Mr Harrison is a director of Dalgety and New Zealand Loan, Ltd., and is on a brief visit to New Zealand. He was here briefly about eight years ago as Parliamentary Undersecretary to the Minister of Agriculture.

Asked about entry to the Common Market, he said Britain was as determined to get into the market as the community was determined she should not at present Eventually Britain must join, Mr Harrison said, as it could not afford to have one of her biggest markets continue to raise tariffs. As for New Zealand safeguards, he added, some sort of transitional arrangements would be made to protect this country’s interests. Mr Harrison, who is an Australian educated at Geelong Grammar School, said

New Zealand should get closer to Australia. He noted that New Zealanders seemed to have less phobia about this than previously. “This is just plain, ruddy common sense,” he said. He said he was aware of the free trade agreement between the two countries, but it was limited. He suggested a common market between the two countries to include dairy produce and other commodifies. “It might give your dairy farmers a shock,” he said. “But I don’t see why the two countries can’t trade very much more.” He found it depressing that there was so much reliance on protection. The countries should be strong and vigorous. Questioned on the economic moves by Mr Harold Wilson’s Government, Mr Harrison said they were “very courageous.” He considered they should lead to fluidity of labour and increased industrial efficiency with steady prices. 7