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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 26, No. 10. 1963.

Holyoake In Meek Government Stand

Holyoake In Meek Government Stand

Peter Blizard, Brian Opie and Robin Bell were the members of the executive delegation which waited on the Prime Minister last Monday to discuss French nuclear test.

Peter Blizard opened by asking Mr. Holyoake what measures the Government considered taking to bring further pressure to bear on the French Government to prevent them going ahead with their testing plan. He suggested multilateral pressure from all South Pacific countries, pressure from the members of the South Pacific Commission, and the initiation of protest at the UN.

Mr. Holyoake said that the Government had taken every possible step to bring pressure to bear on the French. The Government had initially heard rumours of French testing in the Pacific, and had asked the French for more information. (Later Mr. Holyoake said that he was not interested in rumours.) As soon as the Government was certain, he had lodged an official protest, which was rejected. A further protest was lodged, not formally at the time of the initialling of the test ban treaty.

Returning to the question of the South Pacific Commission, Mr. Holyoake said that he was not overwhelmingly impressed by the idea of trying to exclude France from this Commission as it would not be in the interests of the Pacific peoples to do so.

Peter Blizard pointed out that this was not necessarily implied by his suggestion. He pointed out that France's present attitude was inconsistent with the charter of the Commission and suggested that this should be drawn to the attention of France. Mr. Holyoake said that this was a fair point which he had not thought of.

On the point suggested by Blizard, that New Zealand should initiate protests in the UN, the Prime Minister said that the matter would be raised in the UN, though he did not say by whom. He anticipated that the partial test ban treaty would be tabled by the three powers involved, and that other nations would be urged to adhere. "New Zealand delegates will be instructed to do this," said the Prime Minister. "The Government will take every conceivable opportunity to urge complete cessation of nuclear testing everywhere," he said.

In reply to the suggestion that France had adopted a "mind your own business" attitude. Holyoake said that this was not so. New Zealand's protest had been a normal diplomatic protest, and the French had rejected it in the normal way. The "mind your own business" idea was only implied to the extent that any formal rejection implied this, he said.

When asked about measures the Government would take to protect the peoples of the Island Territories from fallout. Holyoake said that teams would be sent to check radiation levels in fish, etc., as had been done in the past.

Secretary Brian Opie (right) and P.R.O. Robin Bell, members of Stud. Ass. delegation to Mr. Holyoake.

Secretary Brian Opie (right) and P.R.O. Robin Bell, members of Stud. Ass. delegation to Mr. Holyoake.