Keep our zone nuclear-free

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

I heard on Monday’s RNZ news that “New Zealand is ‘actively looking’ for ways to participate in the controversial AUKUS pact, where work is already under way into putting AI into submarine-hunting planes and radar into deep space for military targeting, according to a newly released government briefing.”

I found this on The Australian Submarine Agency website:

“Under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Australia has committed to not receive, manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons.

“Australia has long championed nuclear-weapon-free zones and was a founding member of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Rarotonga).

“Australia remains a key driving force in support of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.”

Seems strange to me . . . cheeky, actually, especially after keeping the Pacific nuclear-free, in line with the Rarotonga treaty, which was the main theme from the leaders of Tonga, Cook Islands and Samoa visiting New Zealand earlier this month. The strong message came through: “We don’t want the Pacific to be seen as an area where people will take the licence of nuclear arrangements.”

All must respect the hard-fought nuclear-free status of our Pacific zone.

Bob Hughes