Posted on 10/08/2003 1:02:34 PM PDT by shaggy eel
New Zealand's government is rejecting a call from the United States to review its anti-nuclear policy after Washington warned it would not "get over it".
US ambassador Charles Swindells attempted to deliver the "think-again" message in a speech at Victoria University yesterday but was forced to abandon it after anti-war protesters shouted him down.
The Government condemned the protesters' actions, but said the policy would not be revisited.
Mr Swindells intended to use the speech about New Zealand-US relations to call for a review of the anti-nuclear policy and voice disappointment at New Zealand's failure to fight alongside its traditional allies in Iraq.
It is understood that, on a recent trip to Washington, Mr Swindells was told the US Government was frustrated that its position on issues, including trade and Iraq, was not being portrayed accurately in New Zealand. US officials have expressed concern that statements about the prospect of a free trade agreement have been "spun" more positively than the US intended.
The ambassador's speech, which was signalled in advance, was cleared with the US State Department, National Security Council and the White House.
In prepared notes, Mr Swindells said New Zealand and the US had a close relationship and denied any link between the nuclear-free legislation and a free trade agreement.
But he called for a "re-examination" of the legislation and said the US was not going to "just get over it".
He also pointedly referred to New Zealand's refusal to stand alongside traditional allies Australia, Britain and the US in Iraq. "I tell you frankly that we were saddened by New Zealand's decision not to participate in the liberation of the Iraqi people."
More than 60 Defence Force personnel left New Zealand for Iraq this month to help with reconstruction but the Government refused to send combat troops and sided against the US over the need to go to war.
The Government denied yesterday that the ambassador's speech signalled any shift in US position and said it covered ground that had been well traversed.
The speech comes just two weeks out from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit in Thailand, where Prime Minister Helen Clark will rub shoulders with US President George W Bush.
Any hopes the meeting might lead to a breakthrough on free trade talks were dashed when Mr Swindells said the US was still not prepared to enter negotiations and warned against raised expectations.
On Iraq, Miss Clark said the US probably would have liked many of its friends to have joined the war. The reality was very few did.
But she said the ambassador deserved more respect from the protesters.
"In a democracy we have to uphold the right to free speech. It's most unfortunate when the ambassador of a very, very friendly country doesn't get a fair hearing."
The anti-nuclear policy, meanwhile, was not going to change.
Miss Clark and Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff were given copies of the speech yesterday morning before its intended delivery.
Mr Goff said it contained nothing new. "The Government has no intention of reviewing its nuclear policy. The Government's stance is in line with what ordinary New Zealanders feel about nuclear-armed and powered ships."
National is now under pressure to state its position after condemning the Government over its stance but refusing to commit to removing the nuclear-free legislation.
Mr Swindells' comments come hard on the heels of a warning by the Australian high commissioner that trans-Tasman relations are at a turning point and the two countries are in danger of drifting apart.
A luxury Uncle Sam does not have, being the "adult" in the neighborhood.
,,, the south Pacific is going thru mildly turbulent times. Rough and tumble in the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea is a lawless frontier and Fiji has been raced, rallied and rolled in a series of coups since the late 1980s. Places like Nauru and Tonga are cut price havens for Russian money laundering and overall, the region isn't as stable as it was a couple of decades ago.
With Helen Klark taking directions from the UN, expect to see us aligning ourselves with France and China as Aussie becomes neighbouhood cop. Traditionally, NZ has supported Aussie and the US to the hilt. With Phil Goff calling on Arafat and Klark calling on Chirac, the blueprint seems to include strict adherence to the anti-nuclear policy to preclude forwarding relations with the US. Public sentiment should be checked via a referendum, but referendums are a real fear for the Labour government.
,,, she doesn't care either way about trade with the US. She will say it's important within her smoke and mirrors platitudes to the business sector, but they're not stupid enough to buy that when they see her and her aged hippies and vegetarian eunuchs trying to call the shots over the US from her self-perceived comfortable, moral highground position. A tangible indicator of recent times I could give you would be [government owned] Air New Zealand's fleet replacement. We've traditionally gone with Boeing, but we've just taken delivery of our first Airbus from Toulouse. Of course, price is always the main issue with major capital items, but just quietly, I bet Helen's pretty pleased about the French bumping their export receipts on our account. Who knows? - maybe her favourite charity is richer for it too. Her platform is social justice and that's what she has to be seen to be doing if she's to land a senior UN job.
,,, Home alone BUMP.
,,, a bit of an update. Nice to see that someone's got some ambition.
Peter Dunne sees himself as the PM one day
10 October 2003
By VERNON SMALL
United Future leader Peter Dunne believes he could one day be prime minister of a centre-right government.
But in the meantime he is touting himself as the next deputy to Helen Clark, arguing he would be more acceptable than Green MPs in a centre-left cabinet.
"I venture to suggest that if United Future were to be a coalition partner, the prospect of myself as deputy PM would be much less alarming to the New Zealand and international community," he said in notes for a speech to the Diplomatic Club.
He contrasted that with a Labour-Green coalition which he said "could see Jeanette Fitzsimons as deputy PM and, on occasion, stand-in prime minister". He also raised the prospect of "anti-trade Rod Donald as minister of international trade and the dope smoker Nandor Tanczos as minister of justice".
Mr Dunne's comments were made as relations with Labour soured after United's refusal to support the Supreme Court Bill, its opposition to the Government's foreshore and seabed proposal and repeated attacks on Labour by United MPs. Prime Minister Helen Clark dismissed Mr Dunne's remarks. "Mr Schwarzenegger's victory in California has raised the expectations of many," she said.
Mr Dunne said he saw United, polling less than 3 per cent, as firmly in the centre of the political spectrum, keeping the big parties honest as they jostled to form a new government. He rubbished both of Labour's other potential partners.
"The Greens will retain their grip on the 7 per cent of New Zealanders who believe in worldwide conspiracies, who hate progress, loathe business and love drugs."
Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton's Progressives "will continue their inexorable slide into the dustbin of history, leaving Labour as the only consistent party of the centre-left as a serious player in the political marketplace", he said.
It was arguable the National Party was in terminal decline and its death could be imminent, he said. Cannibalising between ACT and National would harm both parties' chances of securing a majority in the House.
If National collapsed, its voters would have to choose between NZ First and United. "It is those sorts of calculations that lead me to the belief that I could one day be the prime minister of New Zealand."
ACT leader Richard Prebble scoffed at Mr Dunne's ambition. "Peter Dunne has more chance of being the next All Black captain than he does of ever being prime minister."
ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader Ken Shirley today expressed disappointment that protestors were able to prevent US Ambassador to New Zealand Charles Swindells' from delivering an important speech which contained warnings for the Labour Government.
"While stressing that New Zealand's ban on nuclear ships is not a test of our friendship or of our mutual co-operation, Mr Swindells stated emphatically that it does place limits on our relationship and impedes closer co-operation," Mr Shirley said.
"Emphasising that friends and allies are not the same thing, he pleaded for an end to this bi-lateral disagreement and stressed that the US is not going to just `get over it'.
"While stating that such a serious disagreement cannot overwhelm the ties that bind us, Mr Swindells pointed out that it is not cost free, and clearly stated that 20 years on a re-examination of this issue could benefit us all.
"This careful speech from the US Ambassador is obviously sanctioned by Washington and it contains a plea for a greater relationship between our two countries. The ball is in our court; we imposed this foolish legislation, which has no strategic or environment purpose, and I call on the Government once more to support my Private Members Bill to lift the ban on nuclear-propelled ship visits.
"This is the only remaining obstacle to our full participation in a strategic defence alliance with our traditional allies, and is also the only obstacle to us enjoying equal status with Australia in negotiating a free trade agreement with the huge US market.
"The pathway forward should be a no-brainer for this Government - regrettably, however, its rhetoric will continue to trip it up," Mr Shirley said.
ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader Ken Shirley today expressed concern over the Government's disturbing response to US Ambassador Swindells' speech, labelling it a harbinger of Labour's determination to pursue an isolationist policy.
"Prime Minister Helen Clark's clear inability to confront her ghosts will cost New Zealand dearly. It was she who led the Labour Party's anti-US cabal in the 1980s, and it was this group that was determined to add the unnecessary Clause 11 to the 1987 legislation aimed at destroying the ANZUS Alliance," Mr Shirley said.
"The nuclear propulsion ban has always been a needless clip-on to our bold anti-nuclear stance. The world has changed, however, and - with the end of the Cold War - so too has the US. Yet Labour staunchly adheres to the past and refuses to `move on'.
"The US has abandoned its neither confirm nor deny policy. There has been a massive de-escalation of nuclear weaponry, and surface naval ships no longer carry nuclear weapons. The New Zealand Government's own review (The Somers Report) on the safety of nuclear-powered ships concluded that there is no environmental or public safety reason to continue the ban, and that nuclear propulsion is considerably safer than conventional power.
"The ball is in Labour's court, and Ambassador Swindells' speech was a comprehensive message from Washington to remind us of that. I am calling on the National Party to get off the fence and declare its policy on this important issue.
"The centre-right in New Zealand politics must show leadership. We must restore hope to the public that we can mend our bridges and re-establish our close relationship with the US for our mutual benefit, future prosperity and security," Mr Shirley said.
ACT's "The Letter" - Monday, October 13 2003
At midday today there was the first ever joint press conference of the leaders of the centre right parties. Richard Prebble, Bill English, and Winston Peters issued a combined statement opposing the government's intention to change the country's constitution by a bare parliamentary majority of three.
We should value having a final court of neutral international judges.
Margaret Wilson is New Zealand's most dangerous politician. Abolishing the Privy Council and appointing the judges to a court from which there is no appeal is a necessary step on Margaret Wilson's agenda - the creation of the Socialist Republic of Aotearoa (SRA).
The press conference was to call for a referendum on the Privy Council.
The Clerk of the House has approved the wording. If we win the referendum ACT will seek to reactivate the appeal right. For a referendum we need 310,000 names. There are over 30,000 Letter readers. Attached is the petition. If we all get 8 names and National and New Zealand First does the same - we will have the required names.
The petition is a legal document. All names must be enrolled voters so the names and address must be clear. The petitions must be posted back to Stephen Franks MP, Freepost Parliament, P O Box 18888, Wellington. More copies can be downloaded from ACT's website:
http://www.act.org.nz/privycouncil
The press conference was not a grand-coalition of the centre right but an example of the centre right working together. ACT Leader Richard Prebble, who has been leading the debate on the necessity of the centre right coalition to replace Labour, has been saying it is not necessary or desirable for the centre right parties to have common manifestos. ACT is the low tax, pro-business free enterprise party. National must remain a centre party to win the constituency seats. While ACT does not agree with Peters' immigration statements or his populist tax and spend, Peters' does have important things to say on Maori issues.
All that the centre right parties need for electoral support is to show that they can work together. The Privy Council is an example.
Labour thought that the United party was going to support the new Supreme Court, and in the select committee the United MP voted to abolish the Privy Council.
The party has been losing supporters and funding for its support of the Labour government that legalises prostitution, widens social welfare, and proposes to prosecute parents who discipline. The few Christian businessmen that gave 80% of the party's funds said that United's support for the abolition of the Privy Council was too much. So the u-turn.
Peter Dunne at first agreed to join today's joint press conference and then said he would just issue a press statement of support!
ACT's Rodney Hide has revealed that the Labour government has spent $2.1 million funding anti-smoking groups ASH, the Smoke free coalition and Aparangi Tautoko Auahi Kore (ATAK) to, as ASH contract says, "maintain a profile through the media with a presence in the print media, radio or television at least 50 times a year". The ATAK contract requires them to lobby "key portfolio MPs and Maori MPs." The organizations were contracted by the government to present submissions to select committees with the purpose to "influence and promote healthy public policy".
The contracts are in direct violation of the public service code of conduct. Labour's first reaction was to defend the contracts. Then to say, falsely, that National did it. Now to get an 'in-house' review by the State Services Commission.
The Prime Minister Helen Clark crucified Timberlands Chief Executive Kit Richards for promoting lobbying for Timberlands. Education Minister and ASH condemned the anti-drug Life Education Trust for having accepted a $100,000 do-nation (no strings attached) from British American Tobacco. Labour's Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard, called on schools to boycott the Life Education Trust programmes and ASH said the donation raised a "moral and ethical" issue.
At no time has ASH told parliament or the media that their campaign for the private members anti-smoking bill was being secretly funded by the taxpayer.
The contracts even contain a clause that the lobby groups agree not to attack the government.
I'm tellin ya shaggy, that tight gun control is gonna bite you guys in the butt very soon.
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