No briefing from Lange—officials

Press, 28 April 1989, Page 1

No briefing from Lange —officials

By

BRENDON BURNS

in Wellington

American and Australian officials yesterday added weight to the claims that there was little if any true consultation by the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, before his suggestion that New Zealand withdraw from the A.N.Z.U.S. Council.

While Mr . Lange suggested journalists were taking part in a campaign to return nuclear weapons to New Zealand, the departing United States Ambassador to Wellington, Mr Paul Cleveland, said he had not been briefed.

The Australian High Commission in Wellington said it obtained a copy of Mr Lange’s speech at Yale University on Monday at 5 p.m. — after asking for the text.

In Parliament, the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, said he received his copy of Mr Lange’s address on Monday. This was only hours before it was delivered at Yale. From Ottawa, Mr Lange twice

attacked what he said were “venal” journalists for coverage of the speech. “I don’t think that in my political life I have ever seen such a consistent campaign to wilfully misrepresent what happened, in the interests of journalistic convenience at editorial level, designed exclusively to have nuclear weapons come into New Zealand,” he said. Mr Lange said “gutless liars” were using compliant journalists to their own ends..

He seemed to accept that the stories might be emanating from his own colleagues, unhappy at his leadership. “That’s a matter for proper analysis and careful thought. I don’t know. I don’t have proof of that. All I can say is that I would relish the chance to have complete rout over people who operated like that.” Mr Lange was adamant that Canberra and Washington had been consulted about his Yale speech. He said the issue of A.N.Z.U.S.

Council withdrawal was discussed at the Cabinet. “The Cabinet knows the undertakings that were given — and they were quite specific that there would be no notice given to withdraw without Cabinet decision.”

But Government sources suggested that a number of Cabinet members were uneasy at the prospect of withdrawal from the A.N.Z.U.S. Council, which in effect means pulling out of .A.N.Z.U.S.

The Prime Minister raising such a prospect on foreign soil, could be seen as tantamount to withdrawal being put into effect. Mr Palmer repeated yesterday that it was premature to speculate that the Cabinet would agree to Mr Lange’s suggestion. The Prime Minister outlined yesterday how key Cabinet Ministers had received the speech last Monday.

This is believed to mean Messrs Palmer, Marshall, Moore and Tizard.

The press secretaries of other Ministers were also sent copies, but not all Ministerial offices were staffed last Monday, prior to Anzac Day. Dr John Henderson, head of the Prime Minister’s department, was given the job of briefing Australia and the United States on Mr Lange’s visit to North America. But Mr Cleveland said Dr Henderson had not mentioned the prospect of withdrawal from the A.N.Z.U.S. Council at a briefing held some weeks ago.

“That was never mentioned to us and I discovered that at 8 o’clock on Anzac Day when I listened to the news.” Dr Henderson is also understood to have visited Washington immediately before Mr Lange’s visit. But it is unclear whether he mentioned there would be a reference to withdrawal from the A.N.Z.U.S. Council. Earlier, Dr Henderson visited Canberra.

But an Australian High Commission spokeswoman said yesterday that Canbera was not aware until the speech arrived on Monday that withdrawal from the A.N.Z.U.S. Council would be suggested. A copy of this had been requested by the High Commission from Mr Lange’s office. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, said yesterday that he doubted the Government would follow through with Mr Lange’s proposal. ‘)I think they will back off, he said.