Reply from P.M. "unsatisfactory"

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33279, 17 July 1973, Page 17

Reply from P.M. " unsatisfactory"

A reply from the Prime Minister (Mr Kirk) to a letter from the Committee Against Foreign Military Activities asking for “factual information concerning the exact function of United States installations in New Zealand” was described as most unsatisfactory by a spokesman for the committee (Mr J. Christie).

Mr Christie said Mr Kirk ; persisted in calling the operations scientific projects when he was aware that the comimittee had in its possession! I United States Air Force docu|ments which stated that the | ibases were military installa-1 tions. “This is what I call a credibility gap,” said Mr Christie. Mr Kirk said that in an earlier letter to the chairman of the committee he outlined the factors taken into consideration when such installations were established and the basis on which they operated.: “I reiterate now, that noj project is undertaken without i the knowledge and approval of the Government, nor with-! out a careful assessment by; the Government as to; a project is, inter alia, of benefit to the international community as well as to New Zealand.” said Mr Kirk. “There are agreed (arrangements for New Zea- 1

land personnel to use on request the scientific data collected and to participate directly in these projects. “The Government is discussing with the United States authorities the scope for furthering New Zealand participation in the BakerNunn camera station at Mount John and in Operation Deep Freeze support facilities at Christchurch. I have every expectation that these talks will produce positive results, at which time I will make a further announcement,” Mr Kirk said. The committee said that the purpose of the top secret United States Air Force base at Woodbourne which was recently closed was to detect! and analyse nuclear explosions, and that the base enabled the United States to turn the French tests to its: own advantage, “a rather ironical situation considering the New Zealand Government’s attitude towards the tests.”