Response to Ministerial Statement on French Nuclear Testing
Parliament, Wellington
In 1995, France resumed nuclear testing in the South Pacific, carrying out a series of tests in September and October, in spite of a United Nations General Assembly treaty banning all nuclear explosions which was to be signed the following year. This sparked international protests, riots throughout Polynesia, and a threat of suspension from the South Pacific Forum. The last nuclear test at Moruroa Atoll took place in January 1996.
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This decision by France to resume nuclear testing in the Pacific is the arrogant action of a colonial power. It is very important that New Zealand speak out for those people who cannot speak out because they are the subjects of that colonial power. We have a very important leadership role in the South Pacific on this. It is entirely appropriate to freeze military co-operation with France, as the Prime Minister has proposed. In his response today I would like him to explore a little further whether that means the kind of exercise like Tasmanex, which has occurred between our two countries, is also to be put on ice until the abomination of French nuclear testing is gone.
But there is no question that this country must take strong action. France does not respect weakness. France is arrogant. There is a history of its arrogance in the South Pacific, and this is just the latest dreadful example of it.
Only in recent weeks we have seen the conclusion of the nonproliferation treaty conference in New York. At that conference France, like other nuclear weapons states, put up a pretence of being prepared to stop testing and move on. That was given the lie to when the Chinese resumed testing almost immediately after the signatures were on the document, and now within six weeks France has followed with this incredible action. There must be strong and co-ordinated action on it in the South Pacific. I would ask the Prime Minister whether in his conversations or the conversations of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade with the Australians the prospect of the Australians also taking similar actions with regard to military co-operation has been raised. There is no question that if Australia joins us in this then that has great moral force.
I think the Conference on Disarmament is the right place to raise the issue multilaterally. Of course, the United Nations General Assembly is not in session, and that forum is not available to us. But we must use any forum we have to express our horror of this.
Perhaps in the Prime Minister’s reply he could also consider the proposal I have made to send a frigate. I raise that because it has been done before. The Rt Hon. Norman Kirk sent a frigate to Moruroa in the early 1970s. It had a Cabinet Minister on board, and I will not suggest volunteers—I do not wish to make light of the occasion by suggesting names. A frigate going to Moruroa would certainly be a signal that our views now are as strong as they were in the early 1970s. If New Zealand can consider sending a frigate all the way to the Persian Gulf to patrol sanctions against Iraq then we can consider sending a frigate to Moruroa. This is a case of charity beginning at home.
So I join the Prime Minister in deploring this arrogant, colonial action by France. I join him in saying that military co-operation should cease. I want to know whether that extends as far as Tasmanex, and I would like the Prime Minister to respond positively on the issue of a frigate going up to the test zone, backing the brave action of the people on the Rainbow Warrior.