4 OCT 1967 7
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE
RT. HON. HAROLD HCLT, CH, MP, IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
26TH SEPTEMBER, 1967
VISIT TO AUSTRALIA BY THE PRIME MINISTER
OF NEW ZEALAND
I ask leave of the House to make a short statement
concerning discussions between the Australian and New Zealand Governments.
I inform the House, with pleasure, that arrangements have
been completed for a brief visit to Canberra next week at my invitation
by the Right Honourable the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr Holyoake.
( The New Zealand Minister for Defence, Mr Thompson, will accompany Mr
Holyoake). Australia and New Zealand have a great many problems
of common interest and talks between Mr Holyoake and myself between
New Zealand Ministers and Australian Ministers and between officials of our
respective Governments take place from time to time. It might be said that
we are in almost constant touch. But a visit by the New Zealand Prime Minister
to Australia, however, is an event of significance out of the ordinary run of
discussions and we welcome it wholeheartedly.
The visit will be the occasion to discuss a number of matters
but consultation on defence policies in relation to South East Asia will be a
particular purpose. The visit will be timely in that it will provide the first
opportunity that Mr Holyoake and I have had to discuss at first hand the British
Government's Defence V! hite Paper of July, with its profound implications for
British Forces in Malaysia/ Singapore.
Both Australia and New Zealand have troops in the Commonwealth
Strategic Reserve in Malaysia/ Singapore and since the British decisions,
Australia and New Zealand are both in a new situation in which foreign policy
as well as defence policy aspects come up for review. As I have already
indicated to the House, I contemolate discussions with a nurrber of Governments
before completing our re-examination of Australian defence policy. It will be
clear to the House that a major first step in this reappraisal at Government
level is talks with New Zealand.
Both Austraia and New Zealand have forces engaged and
working together in Vietnam also. By means of exchanges at diplomatic and
defence level there is at any stage a close understanding between the two
Governments about Vietnam but it will be extremely useful for us to review
together the situation there.
Perhaps I should add as a further word of explanation that I do
not expect to be making any early Government announcements as a direct / 2
result of these discussions. The talks with Mr Holyoake ( and Mr Thompson)
will be, as I have said, part of our continuing close consultation ard we are
neither at the start nor at the end of this process.
I expect Mr Holyoake to arrive in Canberra on Monday,
2nd October. Most of Tuesday will no doubt be taken up with discussions.
The discussions will be with myself, senior colleagues and members of
the Cabinet Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.
The Minister for External Affairs, Mr Has luck, has
deferred his departure for the United Nations General Assembly at New
York in order to be present for Mr Holyoake's visit. Mr Holyoake will
return to Wellington on Wednesday, 4th October.
My colleagues and I are looking forward to seeing Mr
Holyoake and Mr Thompson in Canberra. They will receive a warm welcome
from us.