New Zealand politicians stoke anti-nuclear activism

Jun 9, 2007, 9:19 GMT

Wellington - On the 20th anniversary of New Zealand's anti-nuclear legislation, the country's politicians have called for a southern hemisphere wide nuclear-free zone and for an end to investment in nuclear weapons, according to statements Saturday.

The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act was passed on June 8, 1987. It resulted in the country being suspended from the Anzus (Australia, New Zealand and Australia) defence pact with the US and Australia.

But Trade and Disarmament Minister Phil Goff told a forum in the South Island city of Christchurch that he wanted the whole of the southern hemisphere to become a nuclear-free zone within 20 years. He also criticized nations' complacency.

'The threat to the world of nuclear weapons grows as more countries acquire possession of them... With the world having lived with nuclear weapons for over sixty years, a key challenge today is international complacency about the threat they pose,' he said in a statement.

A co-leader of New Zealand's left-wing Green party, which is in the government coalition, also demanded the country withdraw NZ$30 million of taxpayer investment in companies involved in nuclear weapons production.

Greens co-leader Russel Norman told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that New Zealand should immediately withdraw the money invested via the New Zealand Superannuation Fund.

'The superannuation fund has invested taxpayers' money in the manufacturers of nuclear weapons, such as Northrop Grumman Corp and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. We say the fund should not be investing our money in these types of companies,' Norman said.

There is a strong consensus within the New Zealand Parliament that New Zealand's nuclear-free stance should remain.

Just two politicians in a minor far-right party disagree with their colleagues in New Zealand's 121 seat parliament. The ACT party issued a statement Saturday that said the country's nuclear-free legislation hurt its relationship with the US and Britain.

The US said in late March that its bilateral relationship with New Zealand was the best it had been in decades.