Clark's absence from Bali 'sign of declining bond'

SYDNEY- Prime Minister Helen Clark's absence from Sunday's terrorist murders commemoration in Bali symbolises a decline in the transtasman relationship, says an Australian political commentator.

Gerard Henderson, executive director of the Sydney Institute, a political and social think-tank, said much had been made about the absence of Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri from the commemorations but little about Helen Clark being a non-starter.

"It is true that New Zealand deaths [three] were relatively low. However, but for fortuitous circumstances, they could have been much higher - there were fewer Kiwis than usual at Kuta on the evening of October 12, 2002," Mr Henderson said in a column in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald.

"In a sense Clark's absence at the Bali ceremony symbolises an evident, if unannounced, decline in the Australia-New Zealand relationship."

He said the 20th anniversary of closer economic relations between Australia and New Zealand had been a significant milestone, but there was more to a successful and enduring relationship than trade.

While Australian politicians and public servants did not speak ill publicly of New Zealand, privately they did criticise the country.

"Put simply, there is a view in Canberra that Wellington is not pulling its weight in matters of defence and security, particularly in the wake of Bali and what the Americans call '9/11' [the September 11 terrorist atrocities]."

A spokesman for Helen Clark said the Prime Minister was deeply offended by the unfair comments.

"'It is an unbalanced and unpleasant article expressing Mr Henderson's well-entrenched views," the spokesman said.

"It is deeply offensive to the Prime Minister. There was never any suggestion from Australia that it was expected the New Zealand Prime Minister should attend the ceremony in Bali."

Foreign Minister Phil Goff had attended and the Government had assisted those wanting to attend.

Helen Clark had attended the official ceremony in Wellington as a mark of her respect.

Mr Henderson said there was an apparent reluctance in Wellington to accept that there were problems with the transtasman relationship.

He said it was surprising both that New Zealand was so publicly offside with the United States over its nuclear ships policy while "privately drifting apart" from its closest ally in Australia and that many opinion leaders denied those realities.

- NZPA