Chumminess not the object

Press, 30 August 1984, Page 23

Chumminess not the object

By

KEN COATES

in Funafuti A shadow rather that a rift exists between the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, Messrs Hawke and Lange. It is cast by New Zealand’s policy on nuclear warship visits which has important implications at home for both leaders. The two have not been strolling on the beach together in Tuvalu becoming great cobbers. For while it is far too hot even to stroll, chumming up is just not the object of the exercise for either.

As the nuclear visit issue was not a Forum question, there have been no arguments between the pair either at the Forum, or in private. They have met each other socially — Mr Hawke aboard Mr Lange’s ship, H.M.N.Z.S. Monowai, and Mr Lange aboard Mr Hawke’s Naval ship, the Tobruk.

They had had some limited contact before Mr Lange became Prime Minister, but both are populist leaders, conscious that each represents two differing Labour parties. Differences of opinion surfaced at the Forum when the nuclear-free zone was being debated. But ground was given without rancour. Mr Hawke, who has acted as spokesman throughout

the Forum, told journalists that he was quite unaware of any tension and had a good ’ rapport with Mr Lange.

He says he would like to come to New Zealand when it can be arranged. He reiterated that New Zealand’s policy on nuclear warship visits was between New Zealand and the United States. The two leaders have completely different styles — Mr Hawke incisive, adept at summing up and backgrounding events, forceful, dominating at times; Mr Lange always articulate, with thorough almost fulsome grasp of implications and significance, obliging,

and sensitive. Mr Lange, more importantly, has given a performance during the two days at the Forum that has earned him ready acceptance by Pacific Eland countries. He had already made a good start at the Commonwealth heads of Government meeting in Port Moresby. Mr Lange consolidated his acceptance by two initiatives at the Forum. On the New Caledonia independence issue, he strongly urged a non-violent approach, suggesting that a small Forum group be set up to approach the Independent Front. When Kiribati presented a paper on behalf of the

smaller Pacific countries — Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, and Niue — Mr Lange again took up the case for the fragile economics of these mini States and sensitively urged that the Forum use the expertise it already possessed to do the necessary patient and detailed examination of their plight. It was significant that at the island feast last evening it was Mr Lange, now accepted into “the Pacific Club,” who was asked to 'speak on behalf of the visitors.