Tour stance may hit trade — Rowling

Press, 7 August 1976, Page 3

Tour stance may hit trade — Rowling

PA Palmerston North The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) gave warning yesterday that the Prime Minister’s treatment of Mr Abraham Ordia, and the Under-Secretary of Sport’s “official blessing” on the All Black tour of South Africa might back-fire against New Zealand in the form of trade retaliation.

Mr Rowling, giving an address on "Trade in the 19705” at Massey University, said these critical factors, and the use of the All Black tour as an Election issue, were responsible for the Olympic boycotts. ■ Traditionally, nations traded mostly with friends, he said. Under a Labour Government, New Zealand had made African and

Middle-East friends, and trade such as mutton exports to the Middle East had started.

But because of the Prime Minister’s failure to understand — or Jack of desire to understand — the subtleties of diplomacy and the implications of his actions, that friendship and trade were threatened. Mr Ordia was president of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa, an organisation closely associated with the Organisation of African Unity, which included Arab members, said Mr Rowling. They felt strongly about the apartheid issue, as did many other nations, including the Caribbean and South-East Asia. “By adopting this uncompromising, dogmatic, and — for many — offensive

stand, the Prime Minister has put New Zealand offside with a large chunk of the world.” It was doubtful whether a trade boycott would be la".nched against New Zealand, but some worth-while deals might be missed because of the Government’s actions. It had already been reported that Egypt had made it clear that New Zealand salesmen for Fletcher Aircraft could not expect the reception they had been given in the past. And because of the Prime Minister’s attacks on the Soviet Union, prospects in Iraq, which is friendly with Russia, might be endangered. As a result, he said, several New Zealand firms might be excluded from a S2OOM development project.