N.Z.-U.K. 'must stop taking it for granted’

Press, 9 November 1983, Page 32

N.Z.-U.K. 'must stop taking it for granted’

PA Hamilton New Zealand and Britain “must cease taking each other for granted,” the British High Commissioner, Sir Richard Stratton, told the Hamilton Rotary club. Paraphrasing the words that Mr Ron Trotter made during a trade mission to London three weeks ago, Sir Richard said, “In this competitive and changing world, we must work at our trading relationship in a way we did not have to in the socalled good old days.” New Zealand’s r‘magnificent support” during the Falklands war had challenged the old truism that her relationship with Britain had changed, he said. But it was still true that agricultural exports to the United Kingdom had contracted further since Britain had joined the European Common Market in 1972. New Zealand still needed to further diversify her agricultural export outlets, he

said. 1 New Zealand should make greater marketing drives in individual E.E.C. countries within a concerted E.E.C. thrust, he suggested. New Zealand must also adapt its agricultural products to the “TV dinner era,” he said. Even , with the reduction in bilateral trade, Britain and New Zealand still have many contact points. Sir Richard emphasised the two countries’ similar judicial and political . systems, armed services links, and family relationships as “social and personal links that override the rather dry economic and commercial trends.” If not for the World War II boom, British imports of New Zealand’s agricultural products would have in fact declined since the 19305, said Sir Richard. New Zealand’s need to diversify was thus neither solely nor even mainly because of Britain’s European move.

While Sir Richard could understand the resentment some New Zealanders felt towards Britain for joining the E.E.C., this move had to be seen in perspective, he said. After two centuries of “imperial experiment,” Britain was in fact reverting to her former role as a European power. From both a political and military view, Europe was where Britain belonged.

This did not mean that Britain had turned its back on the Pacific.

The planned level of Pacific aid for the 1982-83 year was £24.5 million — one of Britain’s largest aid programmes per head of population. Most would be spent on technical assistance and scholarships.

The establishment last year of a development division and British Council Office in Suva should ensure more efficient administration of that aid, he said.