N.Z. close to C.E.R. agreements, savs P.M.

Press, 20 April 1982, Page 1

N.Z. close to C.E.R. agreements, savs P.M.

Parliamentary reporter

New Zealand is “really quite close” to the point where, for its part, a closer economic relationship agreement with Australia can go ahead, the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) said yesterday.

The Cabinet yesterday approved the approach NewZealand will take in today's important discussions with the Australian Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Anthony). . The round of talks which will take, all day today — Mr Anthony arrived in Wellington a little before midnight last night — will concentrate on what Mr Muldoon described as a few final issues, some of which are quite large, but capable of solution. Mr Muldoon said that there appeared to be “one or two” smaller issues which possibly might never be resolved but on their own should not prove important enough to bog down a C.E.R. agreement. An example of this last group cited by Mr Muldoon was the problem of lavatory pans. The issue had caused a great deal of trouble and a certain amount of mild amusement, but all of the

lavatory pans used in New. Zealand were made in Benhar, a small town outside Balclutha. The company was in the process of retooling for a different type of product and was "vulnerable’' at this point. "We can’t say to the Australians we’re going to have open slather, can we,” Mr Muldoon said. ■ Attempts would be made to convince the Australians to put lavatory pans on a deferred list, but C.E.R. would “surely not break down over such an issue,” he said. He did not think the small matters would delay the proposed introduction date for C.E.R., of January 1 next year. “We are really quite near the point where we can say we are able to. go ahead, certainly on our side. If Mr Anthony is able to agree, and then put it to his Cabinet and get agreement, then I think we are in business," Mr Muldoon said'

Among the results of the Cabinet’s deliberations yesterday were a set of proposals on import licensing and export incentives "which we would hope and expect would be acceptable to the Australians," Mr Muldoon said. Mr Anthony was reported yesterday as saying in Australia that New Zealand's import licensing scheme was one of the issues which would need clarification before the C.E.R. proposals went much further. Mr Muldoon said yesterday that he doubted that the parties would get to the stage of being able to pencil an agreement after today’s talks. There w’ould probably still be a few things for which Mr Anthony would have to go back to Australia to get approval from his own Cabinet. Some might have to be referred to state governments also. Mr Anthony, page 6