AUSTRALIA: War of words with NZ over Iraq
Updated
A war of words has erupted between Australia and its oldest ally, New Zealand, over their involvement in the Iraq war. New Zealand's Prime Minister and Australia's Foreign Minister have traded abuse, over the use of Air New Zealand planes to ferry United States and Australian soldiers.
Presenter: Graeme Dobell
Speakers: New Zealand's Prime Minister, Helen Clark; Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer
DOBELL: For the past 14 months, Air New Zealand has been running charter flights for both the United States and Australia -- ferrying US soldiers from training exercises in northern Australia back to bases in Japan, and flying Australian soldiers to Kuwait, so they could deploy for operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. New Zealand is Australia oldest ally, but the two countries have kept relatively quiet about their differences over Iraq. Australia was a member of the US coalition that invaded Iraq, the Clark Labour Government in New Zealand opposes that military intervention. Air New Zealand is owned by the New Zealand Government but when news of the charters was disclosed last week, the words started to fly. New Zealand's Defence Minister, Phil Goff, said it was wrong for the airline to use its planes to fly Australian troops to Iraq, to take part in a war that New Zealand opposes. Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, replied that in future the Australian Defence Force would no longer use Air New Zealand for charter flights, and he called in the New Zealand ambassador to Canberra to express Australia's displeasure.
The New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, is unhappy at Mr Downer's words to her top diplomat in Canberra...
CLARK: I understand that such a conversation took place. Quite frankly, I think it's a time for biting tongues on the other side of Tasman.
DOBELL: Mr Downer says New Zealand is apparently happy for its airline to cary Australian troops to serve in Afghanistan - a war New Zealand supports - but wants to ban the same airline from carrying Australians to serve in Iraq.
DOWNER: We need a reliable carrier that can we charter for our troops. And if the New Zealand Government is going to say that Air New Zealand can only carry our troops to one place but not to another, and for one purpose and not for another, we'd be better off not using Air New Zealand. So we won't use Air New Zealand, we won't charter Air New Zealand aircraft to carry our troops to different places. It's better we use other airlines and actually keep out of New Zealand controversies.
QUESTION: Why have you called in the New Zealand High Commissioner over this?
DOWNER: To explain that. Just to explain what I said to you.
DOBELL: There are reports that you expressed some pretty extreme displeasure at that. Can you clarify that?
DOWNER: I wasn't happy at the way there had been controversy in New Zealand about whether Air New Zealand should carry our troops who go to Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever it may be.
DOBELL: Helen Clark says Alexander Downer should reflect on whether he should wade into New Zealand political debate. The Prime Minister mocked Mr Downer's ban on Air New Zealand carrying Australian troops, saying that edict was immediately contradicted by another charter flight.
CLARK: The very day after he said that, Air New Zealand flew Australian Defence Force troops to Honiara. So, perhaps things don't get actioned very quickly in Australia.
DOBELL: The response from Australia's Foreign Minister is that it's New Zealand's Prime Minister who is playing domestic politics.
DOWNER: We are on Australia's side. We have good relations with New Zealand. But this has sort of blown up as a political issue in New Zealand and I can tell you we are ducking out of it. We don't want anything to do with it. So our troops will go on other airlines. They won't go on Air New Zealand. That just saves us getting embroiled in some internal New Zealand political dispute.
