P.M. AFTER MEETINGS: Leaders expect U.K. to join E.E.C.

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32587, 22 April 1971, Page 14

P.M. AFTER MEETINGS: Leaders expect U.K. to join E.E.C.

(Prom GARRY ARTHUR. London correspondent of "The Press")

The general opinion among British leaders was that Britain would go into the Common Market, and would obtain membership under Satisfactory terms, said the Prime Minister (Sir Keith Holyoake) yesterday.

He had by that time spoken to both the British Prime Minister (Mr Heath) and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Harold Wilson).

He had also had talks with key members of the British’ Cabinet Mr Geoffrey Rip-, pon, the chief Common Mar-, ket negotiator; Sir Alec! Douglas Home, the Foreign! Secretary; Mr James Prior,! the Minister of Agriculture: 1 Mr John Davies, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry; and Lord Carrington,' the Defence Secretary. Sir Reith Holyoake described them as the “hard-core committee” dealing with the question of the British application to join the the E.E.C. NX’s CASE

Earlier Sir Keith Holyoake told the Foreign Press Association at a luncheon in his honour all about New Zealand’s problems and em-

phasised how deeply the country was affected by moves towards an enlarged European Community. “We’ve cause to know what the unhappy divisions of Europe have cost in the

; past,” he said. “We share the cultural and political ideals that were threatened in the last two great European conflicts and many of our sons lie beneath the soil of Europe:” The Prime Minister said the British application to enter The E.E.C. had "impinged deeply" on the relationship between Britain and New Zealand. He added that New population was 85 jper cent of British origin. I After outlining the efforts New Zealand was making on its own account, Sir Keith Holyoake said New Zealand asked only that its right to continue to develop should be recognised and “properly and mutually” protected. “SIMPLE FACTS” Sir Keith Holyoake was asked whether his expressions of satisfaction with the British presentation of New Zealand’s case truly reflected his opinion, or whether they were just “old-fashioned diplomacy.” He replied that they were a simple statement of fact, which he usually found was the best form of diplomacy. He was utterly satisfied with every word that Britain and particularly Mr Rippon

had advanced to the Common Market as to New Zealand’s case for special ar-

rangements. He said New Zealand was not in the position of a supplicant to Britain. New Zealand gave Britain special consideration and preferences, and bought its special position anew every year. ASSURANCES Sir Keith Holyoake repeated his statement of last week that New Zealand had had assurances that Britain would not go into the Common Market unless satisfac-

tory arrangements could be ' made for New Zealand trade. He believed that satisfactory arrangements would also be made for lamb which was not such a difficult problem. Asked if New Zealand was making preparations, through G.A.T.T., for the worst pos--1 sible result of the Common | Market negotiations, the Prime Minister said New Zealand was searching every market in the world. He would like to see a world arrangement through G.A.T.T. but in the meantime New Zealand would continue to push into every market. While New Zealand was not sitting down and waiting for things to happen, neither could it expect to find another market the size of Britain. The total world trade in butter outside Britain was only half the quantity that New Zealand sold to the British.

In answer to another question, Sir Keith Holyoake said New Zealand would welcome an extension of the E.F.T.A. principle to Canada and the United States, linked to the Commonwealth preference system, if Britain found that terms for entry to the E.E.C. were unacceptable. He pointed out that New Zealand had a limited free trade agreement with Australia, and said New Zealand believed in larger markets. IMMIGRATION Sir Keith Holyoake was also asked about the Immigration Bill. He said he had discussed it with the British Government, but not with any specific amendment in mind.

There had not been a particular outcry about the bill in New Zealand, he said, and most people said they would just accept it.

“We want a change on just one aspect,” he added, “but I am not prepared to discuss it publicly.” . Later Sir Keith Holyoake said he had mentioned the concern of the New Zealand Maori people when he discussed the British Immigration Bill with Sir Alec Douglas Home, who had replied/ that it was not an .isolated case—there had been other similar reaction. “He undertook to consider the points concerned with the one aspect I raised,” the Prime Minister said.