Smith Lockwood: New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Disarmament and Arms Control (Nuclear Propulsion Reform) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Smith Lockwood: New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Disarmament and Arms Control (Nuclear Propulsion Reform) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:627;Page:22104] 
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) 
: 
 This issue is important for New Zealand. I say to the honourable member who is introducing this bill that National believes this is not the way to resolve this hugely important issue. I think a measure of the importance of the issue was raised in Ambassador Swindell’s farewell speech to New Zealand on 4 July when he spoke of the drift in the relationship between the United States and New Zealand—a drift that could see New Zealand float off into irrelevance to America in the future. I know that there are some extremists in New Zealand including some Labour members on the benches opposite me who probably want things to be that way. They probably have an innate dislike of things American. But most New Zealanders who have travelled through America have experienced the generous spirit and goodwill of American people. Those mainstream New Zealanders want us to have a good working relationship with America. That is where National wants to see New Zealand; clearly Labour does not want that. 
In fact to be blunt about this issue our security in the Pacific is ultimately dependent on the security presence of the United States of America because if there was any conflict one thing is for sure: neither New Zealand nor Australia has the military capacity to ensure the security of the Pacific. Perhaps even more important for New Zealand trade is our lifeblood. The security of our trade is totally dependent on the US global naval presence. I want the Labour members to be fully aware of that. What is more as we look to the future whether we like it or not—and I know that a lot of Labour members probably do not like it—we can see the United States will be the major economic player in this world for many years to come. As such that is important to New Zealand. The US is our second-biggest trading partner now; that country whether we like it or not is very important to New Zealand. It is therefore in New Zealand’s interests that our relationship with the US be as good as possible. 
Having said that New Zealand’s antinuclear policy is very very important to many New Zealanders as well. It is more than just an issue about the safety of nuclear-propelled ships. I mean for goodness’ sake my wristwatch that I wear here in the House tonight emits more radioactivity than a nuclear-propelled ship—far more. But that is not the issue. The issue is that many New Zealanders feel very deeply about the importance of New Zealand’s antinuclear legislation. I think it is fair to say that many New Zealanders would feel that there should be no change to that legislation in this overtly political way whereby a bill is introduced into Parliament—and I do not want to be too unkind to the member from ACT but the bill is really introduced for political purposes. An issue as important as this to New Zealanders should not be tried to be changed in this way. 
National has made it very clear that we will not change the antinuclear legislation without a specific mandate either by way of a referendum or through a specific election policy mandate. We will not make any change without either of those mechanisms whereby the public of New Zealand has a chance to express its view either through a referendum or a specific election policy mandate. That is important because an attempt to change this legislation politically is not in New Zealand’s interests and it is not in America’s interests. Just the fact that one may get a change of Government in New Zealand and therefore try to change the legislation does not mean that that is in New Zealand’s interests. The only change that makes sense for either New Zealand or for the United States of America is a sustainable change—a change that the people of New Zealand want. That is the only change that makes sense—a change that the people of New Zealand want. Therefore before this Parliament tries to change this legislation we should give the people of New Zealand the chance to indicate what they want. After all we do live in a democracy and on something as important to New Zealanders as this issue we should show New Zealanders respect by asking them what they want before we seek to change the legislation. 
That is National’s policy. We agree this is a hugely important issue. We agree it is an important issue for New Zealand’s future—hugely important. It is very important that we should listen to the people of New Zealand before attempting to make any change to the antinuclear law in this House. That is National’s policy and it is very simple and very clear.