John Key tonight attends an historic meeting of the United Nations Security Council on nuclear disarmament chaired by US President Barack Obama. But will the Prime Minister be doing anything more than sitting on his hands at the back of the room?
He told the Dominion-Post before flying out that his speech to the General Assembly Saturday NZ time would underscore New Zealand’s commitment to our nuclear-free legislation and an independent foreign policy. However there is little sign this National Government is ready to play any kind of leadership role on the nuclear issue internationally.
Since the election of Barack Obama last year we’ve seen the best opportunity in a generation to make progress on nuclear disarmament. Obama’s speech today to the General Assembly repeated his pledge to work towards a world without nuclear weapons and challenged other countries to get in behind. A host of other political heavyweights around the world have made it clear there is the political will to get nuclear disarmament back on the agenda.
But if this is to come to anything countries need to seize the moment. With our reputation for independence, and our nuclear-free credentials, New Zealand could advocate for a Nuclear Weapons Convention, and join the emerging Friends of the Secretary- General (a ginger group backing Ban Ki-moon’s 5 Point Plan).
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser was here in May and pitched John Key the idea that New Zealand should take on precisely this kind of leadership role. At the time Mr Key told Radio NZ he would consider the proposal, and that he was looking at toughening the country’s anti-nuclear stance by pushing for the elimination of all nuclear weapons.
But when I asked him recently whether he had considered Malcolm Fraser’s proposal and if so what action had he decided to take, he replied that Mr Fraser’s plan to push for a Nuclear Weapons Convention was “a long term objective” and instead the Government would focus on the process already in place. Translation: business as usual. New Zealand is not stepping up.
It will be interesting to see what the Prime Minister has to say on this when he addresses the General Assembly. To be frank, National’s commitment to the NZ nuclear-free policy was news around here a few years ago, but it won’t cut the ice before a an international audience looking for progress on this vital global issue.
even if you’re not I’m slightly relieved Key is paying more attention to what the newly elected, popular, intelligent and influential liberal US presidebt has to say on nuclear disarmament than to a long forgoten former conservative Australian PM.
Actually Neil have a read of Malcolm Fraser’s speech (I’ve linked to it in the post). He makes a good case for countries like NZ and Australia to step up. Fraser’s in tune with what a lot of other world leaders are saying. It is precisely what Obama is challenging world leaders to do, in his speech today.
how many Australian worships did Fraser send to interfere with French nuclear testing at Mururoa when he was PM?
and have you ever heard of Gough Whitlam?
as I said, I’m relieved that Key is listening to Obama rather than the self-serving self-promoting Fraser.
In more general terms I think it’s great NZ can work with Obama on such complex issues as nuclear disarmament, climate change and Afghanistan.
I’m sure that the Clark governent would have done much the same and perahps slightly better.
I am interested. Are the oposition willing to admit they were wrong with all the scare mongering before the election about how if we vote for national our Nuclear free status would be uncertain?
It would seem that the current government has made it clear they are going to back the current policy as Labour did when in power.
[...] headed off to New York saying he would push the anti-nuclear issue. In his speech he noted the historic moment to advance the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation agenda, and said New Zealand stands ready [...]
Yes, thankyou Labour for giving us the Nuclear Free policy in the first place! And Goff has always been vocal and committed to a nuclear free New Zealand. He’s a good man!
Let’s hope that this will mean no nuclear power here either.