Mr O’Flynn: no conflict with P.M. over remarks

Press, 9 May 1985, Page 4

Mr O’Flynn: no conflict with P.M. over remarks

PA Wellington The Minister of Defence, Mr O’Flynn, denied yesterday that there was any conflict between him and the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, over the possibility of New Zealand forces helping to defend Australia. “Reports that the Prime Minister torpedoed a suggestion of mine that New Zealand forces might be stationed in northern Australia are very wide of

the mark,” Mr O’Flynn said. “The Prime Minister has made it quite clear that we have no immediate plans to withdraw the New Zealand force from Singapore, and that is exactly what I said when I addressed the Diplomatic Corps on our defence and foreign policy,” Mr O’Flynn said. Mr O’Flynn told a Diplomatic Corps luncheon on Tuesday that New Zealand

must be prepared to play a direct part in defending the Australian mainland if asked.

“I simply made the suggestion at a news conference later that if we wanted to make a contribution to physically defending the northern part of Australia, an obvious thing to do would be to move the troops from Singapore,” he said. Mr O’Flynn said he had also pointed out that the battalion group at Burnham Military Camp was to be built up and would be available, and he made it “quite clear” that there were no immediate plans to withdraw the battalion stationed in Singapore under a FivePower Defence Arrangement for Singapore and Malaysia. “The Prime Minister has simply confirmed what I said,” said Mr O’Flynn.