Frigates

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 12

Frigates

Sir,—The Australian Minister of Defence, Mr Kim Beazley, does not appear as the fictional character John Rartibo in the “No Frigates Campaign” poster, as you claim. A gun-wielding, aggressive man is not, ipso facto, Rambo. Look at the picture. Does Rambo, a jungle guerrilla in Vietnam, wear jeans, a fat belt and an open-necked shirt? The answer, if I may state it quite unnecessarily, is no. In fact, the figure looks much more like (it bears a startling resemblance to, indeed) the character Steve Austin from the television series “The Six Million Dollar Man.” You might also care to note that "Tiles” did not judge the Dame Edna look and sound-alike competition in The Shades. His (nick) name is “Tyles,” from Tyler, his last name. He is not pieces of baked clay used as flooring. — Yours, etc., PHILIP PERRY. ; ?.?■■■ September 1, 1989. Sir,—As a member of the Engineers’ Union, I support the purchase of the frigates from < Australia. My reasons are Apolitical, economic and plain common sense. I am familiar with the rantings of the peaceniks, pacifists or whatever they call themselves. They are nothing , new; they were even, around, - in - ancient GreeceTheAustralian Government is well; awape, why£>, the building .of • the frigates is < needed. Political 'and' military : i‘ intelligence will, no doubt;be informing the Government-of the trends in the Pacific. — Ydurs, etc., E. L. ROSS. September 3, 1989. Sir,—With or without New Zealand’s participation in Australia’s pro-frigate decision, realistic defence can be delayed no longer by a relatively minuscule population of 14 million, especially with the last war’s bitter experience behind us. Australia has no intention of awaiting a repeat blow, resultant on a dou-bling-up of Asia’s crushing population in 20 years or so which, even today, looks enviously at underpopulated lands such as New Zealand and Australia. Far better a $2 billion debt than waiting in a fool’s paradise for the sudden and inevitable end to our ethnic sovereignty and democracy. Our anti-frigate lobby has not the slightest cogni- ' — ~

sance of our potential danger as it lives unaware of the sword of Damocles above its head. But people such as Messrs Hawke, Beazley, Tizard and others see most plainly what the historical crystal shows to all who have the intuitive capacity to see the ferment of overpopulation overshadowing Australia and New Zealand. Do we expect Australia to pay for our defence, come what may, in the twenty-first century?—Yours, etc., W. J. COLLINS. September 4, 1989. Sir,—As an Anglican layman I was naturally concerned to learn of an announcement made recently by a number of leading New Zealand churchmen, including the Anglican Primate of New Zealand, calling on the Government to reject the frigate deal with Australia. The statement defined an alternative defence strategy and advocated that the frigate money would be better spent on housing, education and health. The clergymen concerned speak as laymen in the fields both of New Zealand foreign policy and of defence, and their comments in these contexts have no more validity than those of the same number of citizens in any other walk of life. What concerns me as an Anglican a great deal more is that the general public are entitled to believe that the majority, at very least, of Anglicans are of the same views as those expressed by their church leaders. And this, I believe, applies to the other denominations concerned. I do not believe that the majority of Anglicans are opposed to the purchase of the frigates, but I have no means of being sure of this and neither, I suspect, have the clergymen who signed the statement. They are, I think, simply expressing their own personal opinions on the issue.—Yours, etc., STUART C. SCOTT. September 5,1989. Sir,—This “open” Government has done it again. I have just learned that it intends to buy four frigates and convert them into hospital ships, one each to be permanently anchored in each main port. This is a stroke of genius as it solves a lot of problems. A hospital ship out in Lyttelton Harbour would give us the extra beds needed, create a “healthy city,” be more interesting for the patients and the navy can have its exercise with wheelchair and bedpan races.—Yours, etc CLARRIE WOUTERS. September 4,1989. , Sir,—We are appalled at the headlines in “The Press” regarding the possible buying of frigates. For example, today’s “Frigates deal reached in Aust” seems totally inappropriate considering that, caucus has not approved buying the frigates, so nO/ QnaT deal .has been reached! " “The Press” has implied, through that the to be bought. The ■ story'has been relayed from a pro-frigate viewpoint. So much Mor unbiased reporting. — Yours, M. HORLER, S. HENRY. August 30, 1989. [(Our intention and, we believe, the meaning was that a deal had.. been made in Australia.,-If it were not already wejL knovjn that neither the; New" Zealand’/ Cabinet nor the. Labour Party caucus had not made a decision on buying frigates, the firs£sen?U fence in the report .(to . . made this

Editor.)] <7?:/& >