P.M. defended by Mr Taiboys

Press, 3 September 1981, Page 8

P.M. defended by Mr Taiboys

PA Wellington Everywhere the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) goes in the world he is welcome, the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Taiboys) has said. Sepaking during the Foreign Affairs vote in the Estimates, Mr Taiboys defended Mr Muldoon against a concerted attack by the Opposition, who accused him of lowering ' New Zealand's reputation abroad.

“The Prime Minister of New Zealand is recognised as being one of the strengths of the South Pacific Forum. His interest in the development of the Forum, his support for the Forum Line.. .it is easy for members of the Opposition to cast arrows at the Prime Minister, but let us acknowledge the facts," Mr Taiboys said. “He is respected in Washington, he is respected in London, he is respected wherever he goes.” Mr Taiboys said what had made the Commonwealth "tick” had been a willingness to consult and the fact that decisions had been arrived at by consensus. However, that had now changed because the law of majority had taken over, “and that is when it does not work.”

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Mr Lange) praised Mr Taiboys for his performaance as Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, it was "tragic” that he should be finishing his career at the same time as the Prime Minister had put New Zealand’s reputation in tatters. The Commonwealth was at risk, and yet Mr Muldoon was engaging in petty politics by deducting the amount already spent on the cancelled Finance Ministers’ conference in Auckland, said Mr Lange.

It was a measure of the decline that had occurred in New Zealand’s relations with the Commonwealth that this

country was sulking while the conference was taking place abroad. Mr A. J. Faulkner (Lab., Roskill) also praised Mr Talboys, but said he must be retiring as a very sad man. He pointed out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had twice this year warned of the of the Springbok tour and yet the Government allowed it to occur. Mr Muldoon said he hoped the debate would not concentrate on personal attacks on the Government. Commenting on the Opposition criticism about his recent comments on the South Pacific Forum, he said he had been disappointed because of the dominance of the issue of New Caledonian independence. Mr M. K. Moore (Lab.. Papanui) said Mr Talboys’s problem had been his leader. Mr Taiboys had made “a Faustian pact with the Devil.” Mr Muldoon was welcome anywhere once, he said. The Prime Minister had disgraced the country, and when the great issues of the day arrived he stood aside from making a decision about them, Mr Moore said. Mr I. McLean (Nat., Tarawera), referring to South Africa,- said that behind the problems in South Africa was “pure racial prejudice,” and the fact that the white population had so much to lose. However, the response to the problem was not to act as the white South Africans did by denying freedoms, especially the freedom of association. “When Mr Muldoon goes to Melbourne he will be carrying the torch of freedom," Mr McLean said. An Opposition interjector: But with a flat battery. Mr G. T. Knapp (Socred, East Coast Bays) said New Zealand needed clear channels of communication with black Africa. “Why cannot we take a

bold approach to representation?" lie said. Direct representation was needed in several key points , in Commonwealth countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. The cost would he infinitesimal in proportion to . the return. The Third World i countries in black Africa , wanted access to food. Mr T Knapp said. However, Mr Taiboys said he could make much the same arguments with the „• same effect for establishing . a post in Saudi Arabia. Mexico, or Egypt. "One of our problems is to . order the priorities. We „■ simply do not have the re- /, sources to say. ‘All right, we . ■ will have six posts this year’." Mr C. R. Marshall (Lab. Wanganui) said that through ~n the Springbok tour the Government had allowed South ■, Africa and its embodiment of white racism into New Zea- .; land “with tacit approval". "Does it know what it has done to this country, externally and internally?" he ; said. Mr P. C. East (Nat., Rotorua) said the world was full of hypocrisy. "How can anyone take .- seriously accusations being ~ levelled at New Zealand by countries such as Nigeria. ~ where a whole race of people - were massacred only a decade ago — where apart- , heid itself is practised by black Africans?" "How can people take seri- . ously allegations by those countries when their trade with South Africa is more , than $1 billion?" Mr Taiboys said he held to declarations of the freedom of association. The tour would mean New Zealanders • would see a side of them- k selves that they had never fseen before, a side they , would not particularly enjoy. But out of that would come “some gain in a sense of maturity, some recognition of the world we live in." . ~