Tizard starts own frigate campaign

Press, 14 August 1989, Page 2

Tizard starts own frigate campaign

By

DAVE WILSON

Government caucus members have been warned by the Minister of Defence, Mr Tizard, that if New Zealand abandons the Anzac frigates project, the country will be rejecting Australia as a close defence ally, and take a giant and unwitting step towards a neutralist policy.

In a position paper circulated to caucus members at the week-end, Mr

Tizard claimed the antifrigate movement was using the issue to drive New Zealand into negative isolationism. Backing out of the frigates deal could also give Australia every right to question New Zealand’s reliability, not just in defence, but in the wider arena of trade, political and economic links. In the face of growing opposition within Government to New Zealand’s $2 billion role in the ships project, Mr Tizard has launched an intensive lobbying campaign of his own. Two position papers from the Minister have been circulated to caucus members in the last few days, with Mr Tizard taking the unusual step of also releasing the documents to the news media.

In one he has bluntly reminded Labour members of Parliament that the frigate replacement programme, part of the country’s self-reliance Defence stance, is a price that followed inevitably

from New Zealand’s antinuclear policy. He has also warned col-

leagues that much of the anti-frigate argument is a climate of anti-Australian-ism, whipped up by lobby groups out to impose neutrality on New Zealand. Australia is on the verge of announcing the successful tenderer for the $7 billion contract to build 12 frigates, negotiated on the basis of eight ships for Australia and four for New Zealand. The Melbourne-based Amecon consortium with its German Meko frigate design is widely tipped to win the frigates order. New Zealand and Australia were expected to announce a joint decision this week, but the new Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, has asked for more time. Sources in Parliament think a decision could be made next week.

Mr Tizard is using the breathing space to attack what he says are myths promoted by the anti-frig-ate lobby. In his latest caucus briefing paper the Minister said anti-frigate lobby-

ists had created a myth in which a newly militaristic Australia was bullying

New Zealand into the warship project, as a plot to deprive us of our independent defence stance. “The most rabid antifrigate people have attempted to convert a healthy rivalry between our two countries into some Goliath-David contest where Australia seeks to destroy our independence. “I suggest the evidence from both sides of the Tasman contradicts this.” Mr Tizard said New Zealand had sought a close defence relationship with Australia, not the other way around. “We have gone freely into the Anzac frigate project on our own terms, not at the behest of the Australians. “On both sides of the Tasman this is a recognition that our defence and

foreign interests coincide in so many respects. It is logic and self-interest that bind us together.” Mr Tizard defended Australian reaction to the possibility of New Zealand’s pulling out of the

ships project, seen as arm-twisting by some observers.

“The Australians may be blunt and even harsh in their judgments but they are honest. “Why should Australians work for a close defence relationship with us if we are not prepared to pull our weight? We share obligations for the security of our watery corner of the globe. If we opt out of these obligations, why should the Australians carry on as if nothing has changed? “They would have every right to question New Zealand’s reliability, not just in defence, but in the wider arena of trade, political and economic links. “Yet some people, even within caucus, still maintain that we can abandon the frigate project and still maintain a full and warm defence relation-

ship with Australia. “We must bear our share of the defence burden. We cannot expect defence on the cheap. The Australians are being realistic when they point this out.”