Dunne Peter: New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Disarmament and Arms Control (Nuclear Propulsion Reform) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Dunne Peter: New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Disarmament and Arms Control (Nuclear Propulsion Reform) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:627;Page:22109] 
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
: 
 United Future upholds and supports New Zealand’s nuclear-free status and therefore will not be supporting this bill. But we also recognise one of the points that lies behind the bill and that is the broader issue of our relations with the United States. We do think that 20 years on there is merit in reviewing where things are at and seeking to improve what has become a somewhat isolated relationship. 
The blunt truth that both we and the United States should reflect upon is that both our countries over the last 20 years have got on to respective high horses that we find it very difficult to get off. The New Zealand position for a long time was: “Your move.” The American position has been in return: “No it’s your move.” The reality is that both countries will need to make progress in the relationship at the same time in a way that respects their particular positions. What we ought to be concentrating on in this Parliament are the steps that we in New Zealand need to take to start that process from our end. Neither an arbitrary move to repeal certain provisions of our antinuclear legislation nor our putting an untested issue to the public in a referendum will produce the type of progress that we might seek. There needs to be some subtle diplomacy here. 
I think the advice given by the American ambassador in his valedictory address of calling for some form of discussion between the two countries is an appropriate starting point. I note that neither the Prime Minister nor the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade ruled it out completely at the time the statement was made. The question therefore becomes what is the best way in which this dialogue could proceed. 
For some time the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee has had before it a proposition that we consider some form of inquiry into our relations with the United States. I think the climate has shifted now to the point where that becomes a real possibility in the next Parliament. Initially it would be at a low level but ultimately it would involve the business community political and defence interests and education and cultural interests to try to put on the table all aspects of the relationship between New Zealand and the United States and to assess what common ground there might be where the differences are and what the prospects for progress overall might be in that respect. Changes that come to any aspect of policy flow out of that but they also have to recognise the bottom-line positions of the respective countries. We do not expect the United States to change its defence policy. Equally the United States should not expect New Zealand to change its policy. We need to move forward in a way where we are addressing this issue step by step to see what is achievable what can be resolved and what progress can be made. 
Everyone agrees on one core point. Our shared values our history our language and our sense of communication with each other give us a platform from which to move forward. The challenge is whether we actually decide to do anything or whether both countries remain entrenched in their particular corners lamenting the fact that the relationship is drifting apart as the former ambassador noted. 
I think the real issue is not whether we pass this legislation or change our antinuclear legislation. The real issue is whether we in this country matched by the Americans have a commitment to sitting down and working out what we have in common what we can achieve together and what progress we can make. The challenge of this Parliament should surely be in the interests of our people to see what effort we can make in that regard without compromising our basic principles.