’Hanging on a promise’

Press, 18 October 1976, Page 1

’Hanging on a promise’

Staff reporter Nelson

Dire consequences are predicted if New Zealand fails to live up to the undertaking about her sports relationships with South Africa given by Sir Keith Holyoake at the United Nations.

New Zealand might "run Into some very heavy flak, in the commercial world as well as in the political world, if we go back twice on the promises. The consequences could be very severe,” the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) said yesterday. Mr Rowling bases these remarks on observations and talks with political, industrial, and commercial leaders in several countries he has visited, including Papua New Guinea. Japan, China, the Philippines, the United States, and Brazil. “I was left in no doubt, and particularly at the United Nations, that New

Zealand’s standing internationally has been very badly dented by what, in the eyes of these people, was a change of policy and direction by the New Zealand Government,” he said. “These countries would not try to get New Zealand down "to kick us. On the contrary, they were concerned, and in a number of cases hurt, because they felt they were badly let down by New Zealand, whom they regard as a leading friend in their particular struggle for racial equality — not only in Africa but in other parts of the world.

“We will be deluding ourselves if we think that any difficulties we have encountered, or are likely to encounter, are going to be confined to the African continent. Concern is much more widely spread than that, and extends through the New World nations, looking at what appears to be a change of direction by New Zealand at a very, very critical time,” Mr Rowling said. The situation was not

beyond rescue, however, he said, and the kind of statement made by Sir Keith Holyoake, particularly to Mr Harriman, chairman of the United Nations Special Committee on Race Relations, was the sort of assurance these countries were looking for.

These countries were concerned that the New Zealand Government act on Sir Keith’s promise — that the Government would advise sports bodies in New Zealand about United Nations resolutions on apartheid in sport — when he said the Government would not support or condone the participation of New Zealand sports bodies with teams selected racially.

“They want to see the Government now put its money where its mouth is,” said Mr Rowling. “If the Government does this, we may be on the road to redemption. If it does not, then the situation — which is still delicate and which at the time of Montreal was bad — will be virtually impossible.

“What they were concerned about, and Mr Harriman said so at the time Sir Keith made his statement, was that the present Government made it a party political issue for election purposes in New Zealand,” said Mr Rowling. The Labour Party’s attitude towards a nuclearfree zone in the South Pacific was another topic raised by Mr Rowling in every country he visited. He said he got support for his concept from every country except the United States. He said he had spoken to the United States Secretary of State (Dr Kissinger), who said he could understand the reasons for a nuclear-free zone.

“He listened carefully, and while he did not give an undertaking to change the United States’ story about nuclear ships in the South Pacific, he did say he would look further into the question. He left me with the clear impression that he would look at it with a much wider vision than the military people do.”