‘P.M.’s words need explaining’

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34146, 6 May 1976, Page 2

‘P.M.’s words need explaining’

IN X. Press Association! WELLINGTON, May 5. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) owed New Zealanders an explanation of his statements on the Soviet Union, the Leader of the Values Party, Mr Tony Kunowski, said today.

Mr Kunowski said recent statements and statistics released by the United States Administration had contradicted assertions about an ominous Soviet build-up in the Indian Ocean in the last year. “Mr Muldoon said in Seoul and on other occasions in recent months that there had been a significant Soviet build-up in the Indian Ocean in the last 12 months. He has used this fact to justify a visit to New Zealand

by nuclear-powered United States warships. This has now been shown to be completely false by the Americans themselves, whom Mr Muldoon has quoted as his source of information.” Mr Kunowski said that last week the United States Administration had announced to the American Congress that Soviet and United States naval deployments in the Indian Ocean had been “relatively stable” for the last two years.

“Now the United States Information Service in Wellington, has revealed that in fact there has been a marked fall-off in Soviet naval activity in the Indian Ocean. Statistics they have released show that in 1974 the Soviet Navy spent 10.490 ship-days in the ocean compared with 7020 last year," Mr Kunowski said.