Usual occupation: King

Press, 13 April 1988, Page 16

Usual occupation: King

By

DAVE WILSON

If you have ever! stood at an international airport, watching the officials and the chauffeurs fussing around V.I.P. visitors, it may be comforting io know that even the elite must endure the ritual of the aerosol can. And even if the welcoming party addresses the V.I.P. as "Your Majesty." Somewhere on the aeroplane there is an official passenger arrival card listing the dignitary’s occupation as “Monarch.”

No visitor to the land is exempt. Somewhere: in the Immi- . gration or Statistics Departments vaults there is [ a passenger arrival card for Pope John Paul 11, noting on its reverse side that he has never married and for the last 12 months [has lived in the Vatican. ! The Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Bob ; Hawke, was sprayed for insects when he flew to New Zealand, and,when the Royal Family pays a visit to the land, a member pf the official party must fill out [a[ form declaring the Royals are mot carrying any saddles or used tents. If it sounds a little amusing, there is a serious purpose behind the [rituals, and in; agricultural and quarantine matters, nobody is exempt. [ | Mr John Burton,; manager of the agriculture quarantine servtce at, Christchurch, says he

could tell tales, but won’t, of the! international diplomats who get: "shirty” at having to endure the spray can ceremony. [ I !

"We ! disinfect for flying insects, niosquitos, fruit [flies, for plant health purposes' and for animal health, to kill midges that: could [be transported to our sheep. [. ■ j [

“We also spray on behalf of the Department of Health because 'mosquitos can j endanger humans, animals and [our plant life." With that purpose in mind, he says nobody — including the Royal [ Family and Australian prime ministers — is [exempt.; ; Rather than a ritual for the. international arrival to [dread, Mr Burton, prefers to describe the spraying as “smiling people with' aerosol cans who take only | al couple of minutes -to| complete their task.” . ■ I i

Air New Zealand staff are also[ trained in the crossed spijay salute and on occasions spray the aircraft in Australia,; before: it crosses the Tasman. ;: I

Sometimes the language bar? rier prbves embarrassing for the officials and Mr Burton tells! of trying to herd a group [of Chinese people [back'on to their aircraft after they attempted I to disembark early. Visiting heads of State can pose their own problems, particularly when airline captains i i i; n i

open their cockpit windows to fly a foreign flag. “We prefer to spray the aircraft first,” Mr Burton says. And he adds that the V.I.P.s are usually the most understanding about having to undergo disinfecting before touching New Zealand soil. “But we have had wobblies thrown by some of their hangers-on and then we have [to explain what we are doing and why."

Immigration and statistics requirements demand that every arrival fill out, or have filled out on their behalf, a passenger arrival card. i

, When the King and Queen [of Belgium arrived at Christchurch last year these forms were ccjmpleted on their behalf by Members of the entourage. The cabds do not observe rank or station, and therefore even the Pope had to declare whether his visit;'to New Zealand was a' holiday/ business/visiting| friends or relations or if he was attending a convention. [ The complete [cards are confidential, but . the answers lie somewhere in a file. As co the responses to 'Customs questions on behalf of the Royal Family. They, too, have had to declare whether, in the previous 30 days, they visited an abattoir or meat packing place, and whether they J are carrying more than 20,0 duty— j free cigarettes imo New’ Zealand, i