Passing of the Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act
|
The major political result of the campaigning against nuclear weapons was ultimately the passing of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act in 1987 by the New Zealand government, led by David Lange. The mainstream perception, by this time, was that being nuclear free was an integral part of New Zealand’s identity and a sign of New Zealand’s independence. The Labour Party was re-elected into power in August that same year, which was another sign that the New Zealand public and government were in agreement on the nuclear issue. In the documentary ‘No Nukes is Good Nukes!’ Lange is heard, in a Parliamentary debate, saying “If we don’t pass this law, if we don’t declare ourselves nuclear free, we will have anarchy on the harbours and in the streets.” The passing of this law would not have been possible without the mass protest movement in the 1970’s and 1980’s, because it helped change the minds of many New Zealanders and politicians, which was important as New Zealand could only be nuclear-free if the politicians were assured support from the public for the law change. Clause 9(2) of the Act states that “The Prime Minister may only grant approval for the entry into the internal waters of New Zealand by foreign warships if the Prime Minister is satisfied that the warships will not be carrying any nuclear explosive device upon their entry into the internal waters of New Zealand.” This was an important clause as it addressed the ‘confirm or deny’ issue. Visiting warships now had to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons. This meant that when in New Zealand waters, all countries had to follow the New Zealand anti-nuclear laws, not just New Zealanders. New Zealand had become a nuclear-free zone.
|
David Lange after winning the 1987 election. This was due in large part to the support the Labour Party received from their stance on the nuclear issue.
The result of the passing of this act was that the US passed the Broomfield Act, which officially and symbolically ended ANZUS and named New Zealand as a ‘friend’ not and ally. This had been a major reason for many New Zealanders being against the protest, however in 1989, 52% of New Zealanders said they would rather deny nuclear-armed ships than be allied with America. The National Party had adopted the anti-nuclear policy by 1990.
|
Another result of the anti-nuclear campaign in New Zealand was the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty of 1986 (also called the Treaty of Rarotonga. It was signed by the 13 members of the South Pacific Forum. This shows that the people of the Pacific wanted to be nuclear free as well, and that New Zealand spoke for more countries than just itself when it campaigned for a nuclear-free South Pacific.
