Gentle jibes from Mr Gill

Press, 22 November 1980, Page 5

Gentle jibes from Mr Gill

By JOHN HUTCHISON in San Francisco New Zealand’s Ambassador to the United States (Mr T. F. Gill) gave an audience in San Francisco some edged comments recently on the relationship between mutual defence and mutual trade. Mr Gill’s demeanor was affable but his premise pointed as he addressed the New Zealand American Association. The audience was predominantly American members of the business community. He reminded his listeners that New Zealand received no aid from the United States, and had asked for none, except to be allowed to sell more of its basic commodities. The United States exercises quotas on beef and dairy products. Mr Gill, perhaps aware that many in his audience had a time-blurred concept of New Zealand-American military history, briefly described the genesis, course, and status of the A.N.Z.U.S. treaty. “It adds to your capacity to secure your flank,” he said, noting that it protected oil shipping lines, assured access to the Indian Ocean, and fostered Western interests in Pacific island areas.

Suggesting that the United States could do more to make New Zealand’s defence contribution feasible, he said, “It would be great if we could sell more than the 250 tonnes of butter which never get across the border,” a reference to the quota restriction on New Zealand butter, so small that it is all sold in Hawaii; none of it reaches the mainland. “If you would just be free traders all the way,” he said. “We only want the opportunity to sell on the American market. You spend $350 million on one frigate. That would build two methane plants in my country.” Asked whether he expected an improvement in these conditions from the new Reagan Government, Mr Gill hesitated momentarily, and then said, “No.” In an interview after his address, Mr Gill said that he regarded key Congressional committees and their professional staffs as more essential contacts than the White House. He said that the development of close political associations in Washington had as its main object a better balance of payments between the two countries, in order for New Zealand

in order for New Zealand to support today’s sophisticated defence requirements.