Ms. Clark engages in sillyness when she claims to be anti-nuclear. Our solar system's Sun is nuclear powered, for instance, so being "anti-nuclear" is laughable. We're all getting solar nuclear power each day whether we like it or not!
Posted on 12/15/2004 12:10:50 PM PST by shaggy eel
New Zealand's nuclear free policy should be reviewed if the country wanted to forge stronger links with the United States, according to American ambassador to New Zealand, Charles Swindells, who was the guest speaker at the Electra Business Forum at Southwards Car Museum, Otaihanga, last Wednesday.
Information disclosed at the forum was supposed to be kept in house but the ambassador gave the all clear for people to comment afterwards on his address.
He said there was a close relationship between both countries but it could be better.
From his travels, there were many people passionate about New Zealand's nuclear-free policy but he felt legislation should be looked at and reviewed to see the "price one's paying to have it."
The nuclear issue was not about weapons as many people thought but about propulsion, he said.
"I don't know if it's ever going to happen but the relationship between the two countries will always be strong. Why not make it all that it can be?"
You can bet Helen Clark won't be putting this or any other issue to a referendum.
ping
Do you really think that the ship ban might be overturned at a referendum? I get the impression that the anti nuclear policy has well & truly become part of NZ's national psyche and would be very well supported by the vast majority.
Probably "welcome". After all the anti nuclear policy is now really an anti-American policy in disguise isn't it.
There was a lot of cuddling up with the Chinese Communists from the New Zealand Labour Party. Their hypocrisy is astounding and wins no favours among the democracy movement activists and dissidents.
We will see what happens...but I will give the Communist regime another 10-15 years time. I believe most who are over 60 will live to see a post-Communist China with the principles of founding father Dr Sun Yat-sen. When that happens New Zealand, Canada, the European Union, Russia, and ASEAN and Co will be in extremely hot water.
I wouldn't say the "ideology" was quite the same.
Australia does have a research nuclear reactor (and is in the process of building a new one) and mines & exports a lot of uranium. I am also told (and this is just hearsay from my ex RAN cousin) that our military is set up to deploy US nuclear weapons on aircraft and guided missile frigates should the unlikely need arise. These are things that NZ would never countenance, so I think the ideology differs a little.
But I take your point, we are always ready and willing to make a buck out of US ship visits (or just about anything else). :)
It's no secret - we've had no nuclear weapons aboard naval surface units for some years now. Nuclear propulsion ejects sea water cleaner (and less radioactive) than it came in. Dumb issue.
Ah, no, Australia does not have the same ideology about nuclear power as New Zealand.
Australia doesn't use nuclear power but we're not as obsessed about the nuclear issue as the Kiwis are. We have a functioning nuclear reactor just a little outside Sydney, and even though we don't have any nuclear weapons, methods of acquiring them if we ever need them have been part of our strategic thinking since the 1950s and still exist today. We don't have them because we don't see a need for an independent deterrant in our current strategic environment.
The left in Australia, and especially, of course, the greenies have some problems with the nuclear issue - but even their position isn't as extreme as that of New Zealand.
To an extent, I actually understand the New Zealand position - I don't agree with it, but there are factors operating in New Zealand that are not as major an issue here.
,,, yep and has been since it's inception.
But the issue isnt with weapons, its with nuclear power, when my cruiser pulled into melbourne in 96 the port that we pulled into had to be changed twice do to security concerns in regaurds to protestors. since i dont live in australia i can only speak from this visit and the briefings we received prior to going ashore.
Yes, well, if you want to judge Australia on the maniacs in the lunatic left fringe, you are not going to get an accurate picture of the country.
The people associated with those protests represent less than 1% of the country - a lot less than 1% of the country in fact. Yes, they are very noisy, very vocal and quite organised - but they do not even come close to representing the mainstream Australian viewpoint.
Ms. Clark engages in sillyness when she claims to be anti-nuclear. Our solar system's Sun is nuclear powered, for instance, so being "anti-nuclear" is laughable. We're all getting solar nuclear power each day whether we like it or not!
,,, it gets better - across the harbour from where I'm sitting right now is a nuclear accelerator that's used for carbon dating and things like that. To the south of me is Wellington Hospital, where cancer patients are exposed to radioactive intervals of treatment. I'm sitting here in the middle of these two places with tritium markers on the hours of my wristwatch. She's out to lunch. What's wrong with her? The French have nuclear power and weapons, so it must be OK. :)
Bwaa ha ha ha!
If they won't play with the team, cut 'em loose.
Tell Indonesia they can have at 'em.
They'll soon be begging us to dock our nukes there.
To some degree they have been cut loose over this. They are no longer considered an ally of the US and do not have access to US intelligence. In addition, they no longer participate in military exercises involving US forces.
The problem is that they get away with it because Australia stands between them and anything scary. They know that in order to get to them you would need to get past Australia first and that for many reasons, none the least its alliance with the US, getting past Australia is not likely.
So they sit back, relax and spend a pittance of their GDP on defence. Their situation is very much like that of Canada.
NZ's anti nuclear stance is an excellent example of cheap idealism.
I am not judging anyone, i loved my experience in australia and have friends that are australian. i got my car broken into in sicily but i dont consider all italians thieves, it is just my experience.
Melbourne has a more significant and active leftist faction than all other places in Australia save Tasmania. It is a bit like visiting Sanita Monica, Marin County and Upper West side Manhattan and decide the US is just like what you have seen in these three places.
And even the leftist do-gooders can't control Melbourne and Victoria to the extent their counterparts do here (NZ).
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