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McCully assures US ship will be nuclear-free

Author
Newstalk ZB staff,
Publish Date
Fri, 22 Jul 2016, 7:56AM
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully (Getty Images)
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully (Getty Images)

McCully assures US ship will be nuclear-free

Author
Newstalk ZB staff,
Publish Date
Fri, 22 Jul 2016, 7:56AM

UPDATED 10.38AM The Government says it's dealt with nuclear-capable countries sending ships to New Zealand over 40 times now - so don't worry.

The Foreign Affairs Minister has given his assurances the US ship that attends our 75th Navy anniversary in November will be nuclear-free.

Murray McCully said it's his job to provide the Prime Minister with an assurance the ship is clean.

"It's the requirement of New Zealand law - the Prime Minister has to sign off on the declaration, and I have to make sure the advice he gets gives him that confidence, and as I say, I've done that over 40 times to his satisfaction so far, so I'm comfortable we can do that again."

He said Americans and others understand our nuclear-free rules.

"Other countries have been making these applications, been involved in sending vessels, aircraft and so on for a long time, it's a well-worn track."

Green Party co-leader James Shaw said it won't be hard for our Government to work out if the US is sending a non-nuclear ship, even if the US sticks with its policy of neither confirm nor deny.

"US ships haven't had nuclear weapons on them since around 1997, and that's actually been fairly widely reported, it's just that the United States Navy consistently refuses to deny if that's the case."

Shaw said the visit shows the US has finally accepted our policy, and that it's never going to change.

He said the US is now very diplomatically sending a ship they know will comply.

However, some of the original Peace Squadron from the 1985 anti-nuclear protests will be on the waters again when the warship visits New Zealand.

Spokesperson Valerie Morse said APA is planning a flotilla to block the warship and a blockade outside an arms fair at the Viaduct Events Centre on the Navy's 75th birthday.

She said while New Zealand's anti-nuclear stance isn't threatened, they don't like the idea of an American warship in New Zealand waters.

"The issue is that the United States is going around waging illegal wars of aggression, and the New Zealand Government has committed $20 billion to new military weapons. Those are the actual issues on the table today."

Ms Morse said the warship visit is a significant step towards our government’s involvement in future US wars.

She said the United States' record speaks for itself, they don't want peace in the South Pacific, they want dominance over the region.

"Joe Biden's comments are really a kind of veil for talking about US dominance in the region, so let's not make any mistake - this isn't about peace, what it is is about the US remaining in control."

She said maritime law means the warship will have to give way to the flotilla.

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