Shirley Ken: New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Disarmament and Arms Control (Nuclear Propulsion Reform) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Shirley Ken: New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Disarmament and Arms Control (Nuclear Propulsion Reform) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:627;Page:22113] 
Hon KEN SHIRLEY (ACT) 
: 
 I thank the members of the House for their considered comments. There were many I disagree with but that is the purpose of this House—for the various views to be expressed. I have to say I am disappointed in some. 
There are a number of points in reply that I would like to make. Firstly I draw the House’s attention to a recent  
Herald 
-DigiPoll a nationwide poll of 750 New Zealanders. It was a published  
Herald 
-DigiPoll done under its normal stringent conditions. When asked the question whether based on the fact that the US had removed nuclear weapons from its surface ships in 1992 we should allow nuclear-propelled US ships to visit this country 65 percent of the 750 people polled said yes. Yet speaker after speaker in this debate said that the New Zealand public does not want that. Well that is partly why I changed the commencement clause of my bill to say that it would not take effect and my bill would not commence until a majority of New Zealanders by way of a referendum said that we should remove section 11. Those parties that are not going to support this bill are denying the voting public of New Zealand—New Zealand citizens—a say. What are they scared of? This bill would not become operative until it was carried by popular referendum. 
I agree: I think this issue has become such an iconic issue in the New Zealand psyche that it is wrong for this Parliament or any party within this Parliament just to thrust such a change on the New Zealand public. It is up to the New Zealand public to express its view by way of a referendum. This bill provides for that yet in spite of it Labour is saying it does not want to hear from the New Zealand public. National although its policy is to have a referendum is saying when tested that it does not want to pass this bill either. Well there is not much credibility in that position. 
A number of other issues are raised. I give this example. How many people here know what following the Boxing Day tsunami and the disastrous earthquake off Sumatra that measured 9 on the Richter scale the first support on-station was for those devastated communities? It was the USS  
Franklin D. Roosevelt 
 a nuclear-propelled aircraft carrier with a whole mobile hospital and helicopter support crews. Let us think about this scenario. New Zealand is a very tectonically active zone. It is very similar to Sumatra. We could perish the thought have something of equal proportions. Wellington and the Cook Strait could be devastated. Would we say if all transport were down and if we were offered help in the form of a ship like the  
Franklin D. Roosevelt 
 which has a mobile hospital and helicopter support that such a ship could not come here because we had nuclear-free legislation and we did not think it would be appropriate? I say to Mr Duynhoven that we should think about it. It is absurd. 
The other point I make and reiterate is that if we pass this legislation we are not saying that these ships can automatically come here; they can come here only if invited by the New Zealand Government. All that the bill is saying is that we should not keep legislation that was introduced to be anti-American that has been an incredible irritant and that has cost this country dearly because of some cold war chest-thumping bravado that has more to do with the Labour Party in the 1970s than it has with contemporary New Zealand in the 21st century. 
The time has come to revisit the legislation and I call upon the House to vote in support of my bill and refer it to the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee. How can the House not at least refer it to a select committee for further consideration? Others have made the point that the bill needs further debate and consideration. Well let us give the opportunity for New Zealanders to make submissions on this bill. This issue is an important aspect of New Zealand’s foreign policy and our trading policy for that matter. Let us have a parliamentary select committee consider the bill with public input. I urge every party here to vote in support of this bill.