Access to U.K. 'essential’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33816, 12 April 1975, Page 2

Access to U.K. 'essential’

(A'.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. April 11. New Zealand could not do without access to Europe for its dairy produce, now or in the foreseeable future, the former Prime Minister, Sir John Marshall (Nat., Karori) told Parliament today. Speaking during the Address-in-Reply debate, Sir John criticised Government sneakers for not outlining the latest position on the continuing E.E.C. negotiations but said the problem was a New Zealand one not a political one. New Zealand’s prosperity'; would continue to depend on exports of primary products' — especially meat and dairy I

j produce — to Britain, but New Zealand should be carei ful it did not support those I wishing to take Britain out j • of the E.E.C. j Neither nation could turn ■ the clock back, and it was Vinow better for New Zealand e! if Britain remained a memg ber of the Community. . I Sir John, who was Minis’S ter of Overseas Trade under withe National Government Land was responsible for the I negotiating of New Zealand ; access to the E.E.C., said ejthat although Britain was a r i declining market it was still 1 t ; the largest and most importwant outlet for New Zealand’s T butter, cheese, and lamb. i -i “No other country took as! I much or paid as much in t' total value for exports and ■ I no other country in the I H world now, or in the fore-! useable future, would be able! J to take the vast quantities ' Hof lamb, butter, and cheese!.

t produced by New Zealand.” Milk powder was gaining » an increasing place as a t major dairy export, but it was still the butterfat prodi ucts — milk and cheese — s that were essential. 1 These were protected by ■ Protocol 18, which not only provided continuing access • to Britain, but, perhaps most ■ importantly, guaranteed that : New Zealand’s developing : exports to other parts of the world such as the Middle) East and South America) would not be undercut by) idumped E.E.C. surpluses. ; Sir John said that the British Prime Minister (Mr jWilson) had used New Zea-) 'land as a pawn in his | re-negotiation of Britain’s entry terms. I This could have put New ■ Zealand at risk, as the two ■ countries’ interests were not (identical, but “no irreparable i damage,” had been done.

The new terms were good ; enough as far as they went, i but the highly-important I : precise details still remained • to be worked out. Meanwhile, the British High Commissioner (Sir ' David Scott) said in an interview in Wellington, that Britain was sacrificing production in its own dairy industry to give New Zealand a better Common Market deal. A BOOST ) Sir David said that Brit- ) ain, acting on initial assumptions that New Zealand (cheese would not be import■ed by the E.E.C. after 1977, had given a boost to its own milk-products industry. But if Britain’s efforts to get continued New Zealand access were successful, this increased United Kingdom production would be severely affected.