No nukes stand ridiculed

Nuclear-free: relic or role model?

New Zealand has been told to take a reality check on its nuclear-free legislation, described by an Australian commentator as "of cloistered virtue that is frankly naive".

Australian defence writer Geoffrey Barker said terrorists were now a player in warfare, rather than simply having states controlled by international law, and the nuclear- free stance was a waste of time.

Professor Raja Mohan said the world was entering a second nuclear age - the only way to protect against the nuclear threat was to make something superior. "I would think there was a good argument for even New Zealand to reconsider its approach."

 

Former New Zealand diplomat and foreign policy commentator Terence O'Brien challenged the views, saying the stance was the purest possible example of nuclear disarmament and should be adopted everywhere.