Labour reply on Peking mission

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32666, 23 July 1971, Page 8

Labour reply on Peking mission

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, July 21

“The Labour Party has never advocated a strictly partisan approach to Peking as The Press’ editorial of today claims,” said Mr W. W. Freer (Lab., Mount Albert) today.

Mr Freer, who has twice visited China, is a party spokesman on foreign trade and industries and commerce. At the request of the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) he wrote to Peking about a good-will mission to China. “When the Labour Party urged the Government in May to give urgent consideration to organising a good-will mission, it was made perfectly clear (and reported in ‘The Press’ on May 27) that ‘if the Government is not prepared to take the initiative, the Labour Party will make an appropriate approach to Peking for visas for a group representative of farmers, the producer boards, industrialists and the Labour Party to make a good-will visit,” said Mr Freer.

“The Labour Party has on several occasions declared that it feels the best results can be achieved for New Zealand by the Government organising a mission. At the same time, if the Government is unable to do so, the Labour Party would do its best to organise a fully representative mission to China. “At no stage has the New Zealand Labour Party contemplated sending a purely party group such as Mr Whitlam (of the Australian Labour Opposition) has done. Any mission would include

a cross-section of the New Zealand community, including the arts, and a very large number of companies, organisations and groups have intimated their desire to participate in any mission to go to Peking, whether this is organised by the Government or by the Opposition.” [A mission to Peking which included representatives of agricultural and industrial interests would remain a partisan approach as long as it was organised by one political party; without Government support it would be able to achieve little and might complicate the development of New Zealand's official relations with China.— Ed., “The Press.”]