N.Z. decision ‘respected’

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32461, 23 November 1970, Page 1

N.Z. decision ‘respected’

Although the Australian Government was disappointed with New Zealand’s decision to equip the R.N.ZA.F. with British BA.C. Strikemaster training aircraft instead of the Australian-built Macchi, he fully understood the reasons and respected the New Zealand Government’s decision, the Australian Minister of Defence (Mr Malcolm Fraser) said when he arrived in Christchurch yesterday.

Mr Fraser later flew to Wellington. Mr Fraser said the recently announced decision on the aircraft was not listed for discussion during his five-day visit. While Mr Fraser is in Wellington he will have discussions with Cabinet Ministers, particularly the Ministers of Industries and Commerce, and Defence, on ways in which the defence production capacity of both countries can be expanded and their present logistic co-operation increased.

Mr Fraser said he did not expect to see any dramatic outcome from his discussions in New Zealand. Much of what both Governments hoped to achieve was in longterm planning.

“We hope to see an expansion of the logistic cooperation between our two countries, and expansion to the maximum extent of their productive capacity,” he said. He said it was to the advantage of both that they have common supply lines for equipment. It was even more important that they should have a common longterm defence objective. A continued effort was being made to increase co-opera-tion in both these spheres, and the present visit was an opportunity for a review of the memorandum of understanding signed in September, 1969.

Both these objectives would make it easier for New Zealand and Australian forces to fight together if and where they were needed.