Assessment doubts

Press, 24 January 1985, Page 4

Assessment doubts

PA Wellington The Government would not be able to say for certain whether the warship the United States wants to visit New Zealand ports was carrying nuclear weapons, the leader of the Social Credit Party, Mr Bruce Beetham, has said. He said the Government had delayed making its nuclear-free zone policy into law so that it had room to manoeuvre during the visits

of American ships that had given no proof of the types of weapons aboard. "It is clear now why the Government has softpedalled on bringing in nuclear-free zone legislation,” Mr Beetham said.

“The Government knows that the entry of American warships into' New Zealand, about which there is no conclusive evidence as to the types of weapons aboard, could well breach such legislation.

"Without any legislation in place, Labour's nuclear policy can be flexibly altered to accommodate a whole range of circumstances,” Mr Beetham said.

No watertight formula was possible for either Defence Department or Intelligence personnel to assess whether American naval vessels were carrying nuclear weapons, and the assessment was made even more difficult if the vessels were conventionally powered, he said.