Labour rejects Soviet-ally claim

Press, 19 July 1983, Page 2

Labour rejects Soviet-ally claim

Allegations that the Labour Party was likely to become “more an ally of the Soviet Union than an ally of America” have been strongly rejected by the Labour Party spokesman on Foreign Affairs, Sir Wallace Rowling. “The Labour Party’s opposition to the Communist philosophy has never wavered throughout the history of the party and now remains as unshakable as ever,” Sir Wallace said. The allegations were made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Cooper, in Washington, at the A.N.Z.U.S. defence treaty talks.

“This continual sniping at the Labour Party is right down to his level,” Sir Wallace said of Mr Cooper. “It is a sign of the desperation of the National Party when a senior Minister tries to draw the United States into the New Zealand domestic scene. It is a grubby tactic,” he said. Sir Wallace said that if Mr Cooper wanted to. say something, he should say it about the people involved in the talks, and not use a

scare tactic against people not involved and not able to defend themselves.

“There has been substantive comment from the Australians seeking changes to the A.N.Z.U.S. treaty which Mr Cooper could have commented on rather than stooping to these tactics,” he said. Sir Wallace was in Christchurch briefly yesterday on his way to Invercargill. Mr Cooper’s claims were described yesterday by the Labour Party leader, Mr Lange, as “outdated redbaiting.” He said Mr Cooper had broken a convention that foreign affairs debates are not carried out overseas. Mr Lange told the Press Association he was trying to do “completely the opposite” of Mr Cooper’s suggestion. It was a pity, Mr Lange said, that the “battle for the deputy leadership of the National Party has spilled over into the area of New Zealand’s foreign affairs. “Clearly Mr Cooper has worked out another hate market in the New Zealand electorate.

“Another contestant for deputy leadership, Mr Bolger, has chosen the union issue for his ride to success. The ploys are so blatant, responsible New Zealand won’t fall for them.”

Labour’s spokeswoman on disarmament, Ms Helen Clark, congratulated Miss Marilyn Waring (Nat., Waipa) for her statement opposing visits from nuclear-armed warships. Ms Clark said that those who oppose the spread of nuclear weapons and their presence in New Zealand waters are not anti-Ameri-can and pro some other nuclear power. “They oppose deployment of nuclear weapons by any state anywhere. To brand peace campaigners as proCommunist is the oldest and most inaccurate smear in the National Party’s arsenal of innuendo.”

She suggested that Miss Waring should be appointed the Government’s spokeswoman on disarmament, “as present Government Ministers are clearly incapable of dealing rationally with nuclear issues.”