‘Small boy’s scheme’

Press, 23 April 1980, Page 12

‘Small boy’s scheme’

PA Auckland Armed neutrality for New Zealand is the kind of scheme dreamed up by small boys lacking in education, says the Minister of Defence (Mr Gill). Mr Gill said he found it difficult to accept that anybody could even suggest that armed neutrality and cutting ties with allies was an option. “It comes at a time when Mrs Thatcher’s Government is cutting back

public expenditure on everything except defence and the police,” Mr Gill said. “It comes when the Australian Government has just ordered three frigates at $350 million a piece, and is trying to arrange the early delivery of a fourth. “It comes at a time when New Zealand’s defence expenditure is shamefully below that of its allies.” Mr Gill said the philosophy of armed neutrality

was the right way to ensure that New Zealand “became an isolated island of sheep and cows — with nowhere to send them, and no contact with the outer world.” “We would soon end up having foreign ships fishing just off our beaches and incapable of doing anything about it,” he said. “We cannot stand on our own in this world. The option of armed neutrality is no option.”