New Zealand's Prime Minister on Iraq

The Dominion Post [Wellington, New Zealand] | April 1 2003 | Tracy Watkins

[shaggy eel]

Prime Minister Helen Clark has sounded a warning over the “ripple effects” of the war in Iraq on efforts to free up world trade and has angered political opponents by referring to it as an invasion.

She also placed a free trade deal with the United States as third on New Zealand’s list of priorities amid warnings that the Government’s stance on Iraq is hindering its prospects with a US administration stung by international criticism.

Her first priority was World Trade Organisation trade liberalisation and her second was eliminating tariffs for developed APEC countries by 2010.

In a pointed barb at NATIONAL and ACT [NZ right wing Parties who say New Zealand should be in Iraq with its traditional allies], Miss Clark said yesterday that she would not send New Zealanders to war for a trade deal.

”The bottom line is that this Government doesn’t trade the lives of young New Zealanders for a war it doesn’t believe in, in order to secure some material advantage.”

”I grew up in an era where a former Prime Minister did rush off into war with such considerations in mind and it’s not the sort of government that I want to lead.”

Miss Clark was also less than fulsome in rejecting suggestions that other countries including Australia, had backed the US for economic advantage.

”That’s been dismissed by those involved, so I will have to accept their word.”

ACT deputy leader Ken Shirley was critical of Miss Clark’s comments, including her observation that the war was not going to plan for the US and its allies.

Miss Clark also said that, while there was no love of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, “when there is an invasion, people may feel [moved] to fight for what they see as the country rather than the regime and I suspect that may be what’s happened.”

Mr Shirley accused Miss Clark of “giving comfort to Saddam Hussein” with her remarks amid an insistence by the US and its allies that they are in Iraq as liberators.

Miss Clark warned that the breakdown in international relations over Iraq would impact in other areas, including trade.

Following the failure of agricultural trade liberalisation negotiations last week, economists expressed fears that tensions between the US and some European Union nations could spill over into trade.

But Miss Clark said yesterday she was still hopeful of a resolution on the farm talks.

[zarf]

"Stick a cucumber in it Helen!!"

[shaggy eel]

ping

[cynicom]

"material advantage"

Is that best cover she has for being a coward???

[shaggy eel]

,,, she's not a coward, she just dislikes Americans.

[Terriergal]

HEY - don't get yourself fired man...! ;-)

[Terriergal]

Or is this your way of saying you're connected from home now?

[cynicom]

shag...

Is too a coward, so there. (among other things)

[CanisMajor2002]

New Zealand, right? Which, assuming location helps trade, would be a trading partner with the US-friendly Australians?

[shaggy eel]

,,, Cyni, in my experience so far, Prime Ministers don't go into battle fields.

[shaggy eel]

,,, nope, I'm being brave!

[cynicom]

shag...

You keep denying Helen is a coward and I will send Arnett back there, so there. hehehe

[shaggy eel]

,,, excatly. We have a CER agreement (Closer Economic Relations) which has run for over twenty years. The Aussies [understandably] ain't too fussed on maintaining it.

[shaggy eel]

,,, I wouldn't put her in the coward basket Cyni. I do know that she's not good for New Zealand. She's a socialist as well as some other things, but coward doesn't quite fit.

[carla007]

I spent time in New Zealand. While the country is beautiful, economically it is in horrid condition. They have a problem with "brain drain"...too many young New Zealanders leave the country to look for better opportunities. Culturally, the country is boring. They import bad British and American shows and have very few of their own productions on the air. Helen Clark was the minority leader when I was there...she's a socialist who doesn't like the US or the Queen. She's favours a republic.

[shaggy eel]

and I will send Arnett back there, so there.

,,, American citizens, even Arnett, are welcome here Cyni.

[cynicom]

shag

Serious...Helen will not venture lives of boys in a war she does not believe in. That holier than thou morality got the world in big wars in the past. Being alone in that part of the world is not the most intelligent position to be in. Canada can thumb their noses at us because they sit here in our protective shadow, knowing they have no one to fear.

New Zealand is displaying an anti-American attitude that has indeed gotten our attention.

[shaggy eel]

,,, the idea of a Republic has a lot of lure for someone like Clark. She could do the same damage to our country under such a structure as Clinton did to yours. If you understand the construct of MMP, you'll understand why New Zealanders didn't allow Clark to govern alone at the last election and why Margaret Wilson so desperately wants to cancel our abilty to use London's Privy Council for ultimate legal appeals.

As for your dated claims about our culture, should you decide to revisit at any stage, you may be surprised. I suspect you spent too much time in Taranaki or Southland.

[shaggy eel]

New Zealand is displaying an anti-American attitude that has indeed gotten our attention.

,,, and that's a new thing? She's a hardened socialist who has worked hard for many years to get where she has and make things as difficult as possible for relations between former ANZUS signatories. Nothing she does is really in NZ's strategic interests.

[carla007]

I was there in 1998 for one year. I hope I didn't offend you with my statements. There was certainly no intention on my part to be disrespectful. Jenny Shipley was PM when I was there. I lived in Wellington and the economy was very bad. I hope it has since changed. I did find NZ to be very beautiful...it was just the economy that was in very bad shape.