Celebrating a proud legacy

Many events vied for attention this week.

Standout for me was the 30^th anniversary of New Zealand being nuclear-free.

The then Labour Government led by Prime Minister David Lange passed the Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act 1987. The day was June 8.

Amongst the new rules nuclear armed or powered ships were banned from New Zealand.

Nuclear weapons could not be carried by sea or air.

And a Minister of Disarmament was established.

The labour Government had swept to power following a snap election in 1984. The party had campaigned on a flagship anti-nuclear policy.

In Christchurch this week celebrations commenced with the ringing of the World Peace Bell in Christchurch Botanic Gardens. (For the record, it was myself who inaugurated the New Zealand World Peace Bell. While working on the Press newspaper I discovered a story about a Shikoku mayor Chiyoji Nakagawa having a bell cast from melted coins of New United Nations members to forge a large bell. He presented this to the United Nations in 1954 with the hope that what had happened to his country should not happen to any other. I thought mayor Nakagawa was a brave man. So was David Lange in going for an anti-nuclear policy.)

The year after becoming Prime Minister, Lange took part in the Oxford Union debate taking the side of ``nuclear weapons are morally indefensible.’’

His opponent was right-wing evangelist Jerry Farwell. Lange’s brilliant performance on an international stage meant New Zealand was no longer an insignificant backwater.

Following the anti-nuclear legislation being passed two years later some countries, led by the United States, were quick to protest. It became known as the ``New Zealand’’ disease with fears it might be contagious.

New Zealand’s status as an allied country was downgraded.

The principal opposition party, National, opposed the anti-nuclear stance until Prime Minister Jim Bolger announced all political parties would support the nuclear ban. It has since become part of the New Zealand psyche.

The ringing of the World Peace Bell this week was followed by a procession of banner carriers to nearby Canterbury Museum for a panel discussion chaired by Councillor, Phil Clearwater.

Leading the panel was Kate Dewes whose peace campaigning began in the 1970s supporting the brave Peace Squadron of small boats that would be  launched on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour to confront the arrival of naval vessels that could possibly be nuclear armed.

Dewes was accompanied by Natasha Barnes (aged 31) who spoke about peace from a young person’s viewpoint and Graham Kelly, former MP of the Lange Government.

Kelly says the anti-nuclear legislation was 40 years in the making. It was built ``block by block.’’

One event leading up to 1987 was New Zealand and Australian warships, in 1973, protesting against French nuclear teasing at Mururoa Atoll.

A one-time vocal anti-nuclear opponent was Deputy Prime Minister Don McKinnon. I recall McKinnon telling us to `` love the bomb.’’

Later, a more enlightened McKinnon said   ``New Zealand must have the most powerful and well organised peace movement in the world.

``I fought against it but I don't mind being beaten on this issue because ultimately the will of the people will prevail.’’