Full steam ahead likely for frigates

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 6

Full steam ahead likely for frigates

By

BRENDON BURNS

in Wellington

A close result but one which favours buying Anzac frigates is likely if a vote is taken at today’s meeting of the Government caucus.

The Opposition added its voice to the debate, urging the Government to confirm the frigate deal. Mr Doug Graham (Nat., Remuera) said the cost did not matter because the Anzac frigate was the symbol of New Zealand’s defence commitment to Australia and the Western Alliance. Within the Labour Party, members of the consultative committee on foreign affairs and security continued to lobby Government members of Parliament against the deal.

A committee member, Ms Kate Boanas, of Christchurch, visited a number of M.P.s but refused to comment.

Ms Sonja Davies, a long-time peace activist before entering Parliament, seemed to be readying herself for defeat. Ms Davies (Lab., Pencarrow) chairs the Parliamentary committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. She has been a vocal opponent of frigates. A close result is expected by her. If it is by the margin of one vote, Ms Davies said she will blame the defeated Labour member for Sydenham, Mr Jim Anderton. “If we lose by one, God help him,” she said. The prospect of endangering relations with Australia by not buying frigates seems to have won over some Government members.

The Under-Secretary for Agriculture, Mr Ralph Maxwell, said last evening he was opposed to all frigates. He sees them as obsolete technology and has recommended using satellites to monitor shipping movements in the South Pacific. But he said last evening frigates were not the only issue being addressed today. “There is the whole matter of the Anzac relationship and very clearly there is a determination by caucus as a whole to have a blue-water

navy of some sort.” Mr Maxwell and other Undersecretaries and Ministers outside the Cabinet could have expected

attempts to have them vote with the Cabinet. Such an extension of collective Cabinet responsibility could provide a block of 19 Cabinet votes and nine other Ministers ,and Undersecretaries. But Mr Maxwell said there had been no attempt to link his vote to that of the Cabinet at today’s caucus meeting. The Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, is seen by some M.P.s to have virtually forced them to vote for frigates with his public endorsement of the deal on Monday. One M.P. said he was disgruntled, but the party could not afford to over-rule a new leader on such an important issue.

Mr Palmer has said a vote will not necessarily take place today. The Opposition used Parliament’s Wednesday debate to press the Government to state its position on Anzac frigates.

Mr Graham said that as a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defence committee of Parliament he found it appalling last week in Canberra to be told that New Zealand was a traitor to Western values.

Another Australian M.P. had said if New Zealand thought it was getting a hard time from the Hawke Government over Anzac frigates, it had best wait until a Liberal administration assumed office. Mr Graham said that without the Australian-built ships,. New Zealand would lose the Anzac defence relationship as it had lost A.N.Z.U.S. “It doesn’t matter, its capability or its cost. The frigate is>a symbol of our commitment,” said Mr Graham.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, said the Government must say whether it would allow Anzac ships, if bought, to exercise not just with Australia but the United States and Britain.

“If not, they will be the most expensive patrol craft in the world,” he said.

“Are we going to use them in a sensible defence alliance?”