"Very disappointed", was Don McKinnon's reaction to the news that the United States Senate has voted against ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

"The US Administration made every effort to secure Senate ratification of the CTBT, including personal intervention by President Clinton. We in New Zealand share their regret that these efforts proved unsuccessful."

"This is not by any means the end of the road. The United States Administration has reaffirmed its intention to respect the moratorium against nuclear testing, as are all the Nuclear Weapon States. France and the United Kingdom have already ratified the Treaty."

"I hope that in due course the US Senate will rethink its decision and I appreciate the Administration's determination to try again. New Zealand for its part will continue to press for the ban on nuclear testing to become universal, as well as calling for more rapid progress towards the elimination of all nuclear weapons."

ends

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Gordon Campbell: On The Government's Assault On Maori

This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Audrey Young in the NZ Herald has compiled a useful list of the many ways Christopher Luxon plans to roll back the progress made in race relations over the past forty years. He has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. More