Fear for N.Z.’s status

Press, 27 September 1988, Page 2

Fear for N.Z.’s status

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

at Parliament

New Zealand’s status as an independent nation is at risk, according to the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger. He told a public meeting in Richmond last evening that this situation had arisen as a result of the economic policies the Labour Government had followed for the last four years. There was now no shortage of Jeremiahs who claimed that New Zealand could not stand alone as an independent, nation and had to acknowledge the inevitability of a union with Australia. “I firmly reject that notion,” Mr Bolger said. Superficial arguments might be advanced that there were some benefits, but none were sufficient to compensate for losing the rights to act independently. “I certainly see no joy in New Zealand becoming a more distant Tasmania to be treated with some degree of amusement by mainland Australians,” he said. National’s and his own commitment was to work to develop a successful independent sovereign nation proud of its diverse cultural background and confident of the role it could play in the South Pacific and the wider international community. That goal could be achieved with sound economic policies which were driven by reason rather than extremism. It could be achieved with sound foreign policies that acknowleged New Zealand’s commitment to its traditional Western allies and its responsibilities to its South Pacific neighbours, Mr Bolger said.