Lange nuclear stance criticised

Press, 21 January 1984, Page 1

Lange nuclear stance criticised

PA Wellington The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, yesterday greeted a statement on nuclear ship visits by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Lange, as “an abject surrender” to the Left wing of the Labour Party. Mr Lange said in a speech in Washington yesterday that a Labour Government would allow foreign ships and aircraft to visit New Zealand only on the understanding that they were not nuclear armed. He said that unless he, as Prime Minister, received such an assurance, entry to New Zealand territorial waters would be denied. His statement differs from the policy set out in Labour’s 1981 manifesto. The policy there was, “The next Labour Govenment, in accordance with its desire to promote a South Pacific nuclear-free zone, will continue to oppose visits by nuclear-powered and nuclear weapon-carrying craft.”

Sir Robert said Mr Lange had announced another new Labour policy on visits by American warships. “His announcement, if carried out as policy, would make the A.N.Z.U.S. relationship impossible. It goes far beyond the requirements of the Australian Labour Government and is an ab-

ject surrender by Mr Lange to the Left wing of the Labour Party. “National is now the only political party in New Zealand committed to our most important defence pact, A.N.Z.U.S.”

A spokesman from Mr Lange’s office said the speech was not intended to be a departure from Labour policy, “nor was it.” In July last year Mr Lange put out a statement setting out his views on nuclear warship visits. He had said he accepted there was a widespread and very genuine cause for concern at nuclear propulsion. “If nuclear-propelled warships are nuclear armed, as authorities assert, they will be banned from New Zealand waters. “As there are no nuclearpowered cargo ships operational at present the question of nuclear propulsion for these vessels does not arise.

“Until strict safety conditions can be devised and enforced preventing any environmental hazard, no nuclear-propelled ship will be permitted to visit New Zealand waters.”

There were many New Zealanders who objected not just to nuclear weaponry but to all things nuclear, he said.

While Labour would have no part of nuclear

weaponry, “it would clearly be absurd to deny our people the advantages of nuclear medicine. And our own scientific establishments are already working with nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.” In his speech in Washington yesterday, Mr Lange said three decades after A.N.Z.U.S. was formed the question which had to be confronted was whether New Zealand implicated itself in the nuclear armament system of the United States to ensure its defence. “I assert that the United States, with its long history of avoiding entangling alliances, would understand and respect a level of territorial protection by New Zealand without our surrendering to unconditional endorsement of the United States nuclear umbrella.”

He suggested the concept of ’a nuclear weapons-free Pacific was a manifestation of the wish for one’s own region to be free of armed intrusion by other powers. The United States, for example, supported the Latin American nuclearfree zone.

“I believe that New Zealand and the United States can continue to be allied militarily in the A.N.Z.U.S. pact, although we seek to adopt a more independent stance within it.”