NZ Should Call ANZUS Meeting, Prebble Says

Friday, September 14 2001 Richard Prebble Press Releases -- Foreign Affairs & Defence

ACT leader Richard Prebble says New Zealand should seek a meeting of the ANZUS council, in the aftermath of this week's terrorist attacks.

"This week, we witnessed via television, as part of the global village, the creation of a new world order. Our world will never be the same as it was on Monday," Mr Prebble said.

"NATO has for the first time invoked Article V ' that states an act of war against one country is an act of war against them all.

"The ANZUS treaty between the United States, Australia and New Zealand has a similar clause ' clause IV.

"New Zealand is still legally a member of ANZUS. This attack on America is an attack on freedom, on us all. New Zealand should call a meeting of the ANZUS council to invoke Article IV.

"The whole of America is watching its TV. Such a meeting of ANZUS would be reported on every news channel. As America takes stock of who its friends are, such an action would be remembered," Mr Prebble said.

"I believe Helen Clark has completely misread world opinion and the significance of the events of this week.

"Our Prime Minister saw the television pictures of New York on her stopover in Hong Kong, then casually boarded an aircraft for Rome. How could she fail to realise the significance of the events she was seeing?

"If Ms Clark had applied any thought, she'd have cancelled her trip at Hong Kong and come home ' and she wouldn't now be trapped at Melbourne surrounded by angry picketers," Mr Prebble said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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