Anti-nuclear legislation ‘unnecessarily provocative’

Press, 3 December 1985, Page 8

Anti-nuclear legislation ‘unnecessarily provocative’

PA Wellington Passing legislation to bar allies’ warships was unnecessarily provocative and counter-productive, said the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, last evening. If the Government genuinely wished to improve relations with the United States Administration it should not proceed with the proposed legislation, he The Government had already exercised its authority to ban United States warships from New Zealand ports, said Mr Bolger at the opening of a new National Party building in New Plymouth. The legislation, outlined to the Government caucus last week, is due to be introduced in Parliament

later this month. The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, will leave today to brief Australian Government officials while the United States Embassy and the British High Commission in Wellington will be given draft copies later this week. Mr Bolger said that the A.N.Z.U.S. treaty had served New Zealand well and the agreement should be seen as an arrangement to preserve peace, not war. That approach would put the defence agreement in a correct and positive light, he said. New Zealand must make a determined effort to encourage all big Powers to adopt an arms reduction policy. He had suggested some months ago an ambassador

for disarmament, someone whose k sole responsibility would be to promote and lobby for realistic initiatives in the international arena, said Mr Bolger. “Unfortunately in the arguments that have flowed on the issue of access of United States warships the Labour Party has been able to portray the National Party as pro-nuclear, and anti-peace,” he said. - i “This is totally untrue and must be exposed as such. My support for A.N.Z.U.S. is in the cause of peace.” New Zealand had the undoubted sovereign right to determine its own defence policy, Mr Bolger said, but the cause of stability in the South Pacific, verifiable disarmament, and peace, would not be advanced by insulting its allies.