Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:613;Page:9631] 
7.  
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) 
 to the  
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade 
: Does he believe that New Zealand's relationship with Australia is a close and positive relationship; if not why not? 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade) 
: 
 From our perspective it improved after the last league test but deteriorated somewhat after the first two 1-day matches. Politically however I think the relationship is good. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Did the Government agree in late August to send an infantry company to the Solomon Islands—after refusing and only putting one on stand-by in July—because of a second letter from the Australians with what a Cabinet paper suggests were “more worthwhile military tasks” or because of serious Australian frustration with New Zealand reflected in the speech made by the Australian High Commissioner Dr Allan Hawke on 15 August just before the decision where he said: “The ANZAC relationship is finely poised on the fulcrum. It can go one way or the other ...”? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: Once again the member is absolutely wrong. This Government right at the start said it would provide a company; that a company was on stand-by; it would be sent if needed and requested. When it was needed and requested it was sent immediately. To draw a line with the high commissioner’s speech which had nothing to do with the connection the member is trying to draw is quite bizarre. 
David Benson-Pope 
: Could the Minister detail other positive comments that he may have seen reflecting New Zealand’s relationship with Australia? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: There have been many such comments. For example in March this year Prime Minister John Howard said that the opportunities he had to talk with Helen Clark “about developing further an already very close and intimate relationship are quite without parallel”. Another quote that relates to Dr Smith’s question came from Foreign Minister Alexander Downer who last week paid tribute to New Zealand last week saying that restoring life to normality in the Solomon Islands could not have been achieved without the major contribution that New Zealand had made. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: If High Commissioner Hawke’s comment: “The ANZAC relationship is finely poised on the fulcrum.” was not referring to the situation in the Solomon Islands what was it referring to; and is the Minister concerned about that statement? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I am happy to table the speech and the report of the speech for the member. The high commissioner was saying he was concerned that the next generation would be a further generation removed from the ANZAC tradition and he was concerned about what might happen in the future. He also said in answer to a question about the defence relationship: “I don’t see any fracturing or downgrading of the defence relationship in any shape or form.” How much clearer could he have been? 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Does the Minister consider it to be a close and positive relationship when his Cabinet on request from Australia to contribute troops to the Solomons looks at the proposal—and the Cabinet paper itself refers to thankless tasks—and declines to send troops; and then on a second request where the Cabinet paper then speaks of more worthwhile tasks the Government decides to send troops; and does he consider that is a positive relationship when New Zealand contributes troops so long as they get a better job from the Australians? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: One would hardly send a company of infantry to do a job that did not exist. The Labour-led Government made it absolutely clear that the company was there if required; it would continue training in New Zealand until such time as it was required. When it was required it was sent immediately. I have already quoted to the member the high praise given by the Australian Foreign Minister about New Zealand’s contribution. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: I seek leave to table the Cabinet papers that show the Government made those decisions. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.