Foreign policy slips out quietly on National website

National has issued its foreign policy by quietly posting it on its website in a clear sign it remains vulnerable to Labour's attacks on the nuclear issue.

Its foreign affairs spokesman Lockwood Smith said last night that National had released a number of policies without formal launches because the party wanted the election to be about tax and the Treaty of Waitangi.

He also said the policy was pretty "bipartisan".

It restates National's policy on nuclear-propelled warships, which is to only allow the law to be changed letting such ships visit here if it was backed by a public mandate such as a referendum.

Dr Smith said there was no need to explicitly rule out lifting the ban on nuclear weapons in any circumstances because "we've never advocated that. It goes without saying".

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said the slipping out of the foreign policy without fanfare showed National was desperate to avoid debate on the subject.

He said it did not say anything about whether New Zealand would commit combat troops to Iraq.

Labour has not released its own foreign policy, but is expected to launch it next week in time for a final thrust on the nuclear issue ahead of polling day.

National's policy talks about pushing for a free trade deal with the United States and China, and rekindling the momentum of Apec.

It also supports closer relations with Australia, through developing a single economic market and establishing a common travel border.

Mr Goff yesterday refused another request by the Herald for the transcripts of separate meetings he and Dr Brash held with six visiting United States senators last year.

He has previously ignored diplomatic convention and released two portions of the transcripts for political purposes, including a note which said Dr Brash told the senators if it was up to him the nuclear ships ban would be "gone by lunchtime".

Dr Brash has said he cannot recall making that statement, and the senator who led the delegation said National made no promise to scrap the ban.

Although Mr Goff released another portion of the meeting this year, he yesterday refused to release any more information, including what he and the senators discussed.