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Labour Leaflets Omit Important Advantage

By Larry Ross, September 7, 2005

Two Labour leaflets
(1) "Forward Together" - "My Commitments to You" by Helen Clark

and
(2) "Working together, sharing a vision"

Neither leaflet has any mention of Labour's nuclear-free policy.

I regard this as strange, as the policy is approved by about 70% of the population, has been a high profile issue during the election, and shows a very definite difference between Labour and National. Brash has said he wants to get rid of the nuclear free policy "by lunchtime" and admits he would have sent NZ troops to support Bush's illegal war on Iraq. Other National MP's have made similar statements.

Yet this important point of difference, which was widely used by Labour in the 1984 and 1987 elections and contributed to Labour's victory in these two elections, was not mentioned in the two leaflets. Why not use this very well-established electoral strong point??

Apparently National thought the policy was important enough to change their own policy and embrace Labour's nuclear free policy for the 1990 election. As a result, the policy was no longer a debating point and was hardly mentioned in that campaign. National's tactic was right and they won the 1990 election.

Brash has desperately tried to side-track the issue, by claiming the issue is only about nuclear powered vessels, visiting NZ. He pledges not to change the nuclear free policy without a referendum. The referendum questions would be carefully designed by National to omit key nuclear areas, and focus on the very narrow question of the supposed safety of nuclear powered vessels. Naturally National is likely to get the answers they want in order to scrap New Zealand's nuclear free laws. Nevertheless his rather transparent tactic to shelve the nuclear free debate in the hope it will help his election chances, seems to have paid off. This important and vital issue did not rate a mention in labour's two leaflets

A very strong case can be made that if National wins the election, the nuclear free laws will soon be gone, if not "by lunch time" at least by "dinner time" or just ignored; nuclear ships will recommence visits to NZ ports; ANZUS or it's equivalent will be restored; NZ combat troops will be sent to Iraq and likely to other wars started by the Bush Administration, such as wars on Iran and Syria. The costs and consequences for New Zealand could be quite severe and long-term. If Dr Helen Caldicott is right in her predictions of a nuclear war initiated by Bush in the next 4 years, the world may suffer dire consequences. New Zealand as a restored nuclear ally and nuclear warship port would be directly involved , even as a potential nuclear target. The so-called free trade agreement with the US is used more as bait to get NZ to change it's policy, rather than promising any serious trade benefits.

Labour's independent foreign policy and nuclear free status, means we would be very unlikely to participate in any new American wars, especially a nuclear war. New Zealanders don't realise how lucky they are with the nuclear free policy, even though they are constantly being reminded of this by overseas visitors.

I hope that Labour does not miss the opportunity to use their nuclear free issue during the 2005 election.
Now that they are polling below National, Labour needs to remind the 70% of the electorate who like the nuclear free policy of this important point of difference between Labour and National.

It would not be too late to run full page ads on the nuclear issue, as Labour did for the 1987 election.
Also, Labour and Green candidates could mention this policy in their campaigning.

New Zealand is widely respected internationally for it's nuclear free policy, it's independent foreign policy and it's general initiatives in nuclear disarmament. The nuclear free image is a positive factor in NZ trade and tourism and in the future, could become more so.
New Zealand may face a much darker future, if these benefits are swept away.

The Benefits of Keeping New Zealand Nuclear-Free
Also, the New Nuclear Dangers
An offer to speak on this subject (from 5 minutes to an hour) anywhere in New Zealand by Larry Ross,
Secretary of the Nuclear Free Peacemaking Association and originator of the 1980 Nuclear-Free New Zealand Campaign.
Email Larry at: nuclearfreenz@lynx.co.nz or phone 03-337-0118