Mr Lange challenges U.S. to ‘have a go’

Press, 12 August 1985, Page 4

Mr Lange challenges U.S. to ‘have a go’

PA Auckland The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, has challenged United States officials to “have a go” at changing New Zealand public opinion on the nuclear ships ban.

Asked for his reaction to remarks by senior American officials that the Reagan Administration might appeal directly to the New Zealand public over the A.N.Z.U.S. row, Mr Lange said on his return at the week-end: “It would have to be done with considerably more finesse than they’ve done so far.

“But I would rather like them to have a go, even though it would be improper.” In such a contest there was no doubt his Government’s anti-nuclear policy would win, Mr Lange said. The prospect of the American appeal “over the head of the Government” was raised by the American Secretary of Defence, Mr

Weinberger. The Prime Minister in his first comments on the A.N.Z.U.S. dispute since the South Pacific Forum in Rarotonga last week, said the chances of Washington changing the minds of New Zealanders were remote.

Mr Lange said: “If people who are so insensitive to the nationhood, to the feelings of New Zealand people, to the outcome of elections in July last year, are prepared to make the comments they did about Rarotonga — the chance of them captivating the hearts and minds of the New Zealand public are very low.” The reference to Rarotonga was in relation to comments by a senior American official about the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty. A State Department spokesman, Bernard Kalb, jokingly told a news conference the United States received from the Cook

Islands a “message in a bottle” about the treaty. Mr Lange said the remark, although insensitive, did not affect his relationship with Washington. He felt that the United States, at the officials’ level, was stepping tip pressure on New Zealand.

“To be quite straightforward, that does not disturb me in the slightest,” said Mr Lange. It also would be counterproductive because it could only upset New Zealanders who had weighed the nuclear issue carefully. Mr Lange reaffirmed his intention to introduce legislation banning nuclear-cap-able ships before the end of the year and after the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, had discussed it with the United States.

He also bluntly dismissed a threat by the Democratic Party deputy leader, Mr Knapp, to bring in an antinuclear bill unless the Government moved on the issue

in 30 days. He also criticised the Opposition Leader, Mr McLay, who described Mr Lange’s idea of a regional security plan in the South Pacific as half-baked and posturing. Mr Lange said before the forum there was considerable news media specualtion about concern for regional security after the latest problems in port access for nuclear vessels. “So we trailed a fly over that conference in the form of a paper which was very unspecific as to any pact or security agreement,” said Mr Lange. It had no definite form or command structure. It was simply an invitation to discuss the issue in New Zealand. “What happened was they did not have anything to protest about.” No concerns were raised in private or open sessions, he said. It was a distinctly successful move.