Australia and N.Z.

Press, 10 January 1984, Page 14

Australia and N.Z.

Sir,—lt is not surprising that a Government minister did not want Mr Anthony publicly to express the view that New Zealand and Australia will eventually unite: New Zealanders are not likely to favour federation unless first convinced that the country cannot go it alone economically. Implicitly to the contrary, Government policy is that the economy can be rebuilt, and our living standards maintained, even enhanced. Labour apparently shares the same expectation. But it is possible that our trading problems may be so serious as to render federation the only option. The Auckland seminar on C.E.R. emphasised that New Zealand will have considerable difficulty complying with the treaty by removing export incentives on goods sold to Australia, yet leaving them intact for other trade. Secondly it demonstrated that neither C.E.R. nor any other treaty, short of federation, can achieve a common market between the two countries.—Yours, etc.,

J. G. FOGARTY January 4, 1984.

Sir,—As a New Zealand citizen I take exception to the retiring Australian National Party leader Mr Doug Anthony’s claim that union between Australia and New Zealand must come. Why must it come? What possible advantage could combining New Zealand and Australia under one State have for the average New Zealand citizen? New Zealanders have enough trouble with centralised government in Wellington not representing their best interests, so why should that be any better with more distance and even more centralisation in Canberra? It Sounds to me like another example of a politician promoting his own dreamy ideal while having little regard for the effect it has on the people he is meant to represent. — Yours, etc.,

L. J. BRAWLEY. January