NORMAN KIRK-PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND 1972 to 1974.
NORMAN KIRK Norman Kirk, born January 6th 1923, was an
instrumental figure in initiating the government response to the anti-nuclear
movement. Kirk essentially initiated the first of four successive Labour
governments to take action on the anti-nuclear predicament. His administration
were in government from 1965 to 1974, hence he was the first Prime Minister to
feel the effects of an overwhelming shift in public opinion against nuclear energy.
In the early years of his term there would have been much smaller scale
protest, however as the realities of the controversial French nuclear testing
came to public knowledge, the outrage from New Zealanders caused him to commit
his government to supporting the anti-nuclear movement. Kirk was a staunch supporter
of New Zealand taking direct action, as he felt that New Zealand was a “principled
small nation that could stand up for its beliefs on the world stage”. His main actions
in regards to the anti-nuclear movement were to send two frigates, the Otago and Canterbury into the French testing zones and the
coalition with the Australian Labour government in taking France to the international
court over their nuclear testing. Although he generated much controversy in his
actions, Kirk was confident that taking action against the French would at
least publicize these events. Kirk insisted that the frigates were departing “not
in anger, but as a silent accusing witness with the power to bring alive the
conscience of the world”. Essentially Kirk demonstrated the main aim of the
nuclear movement, to bring the environmental conscience of New Zealand to other
nations. with his initiation of government support, Kirk laid the
foundation for successive Labour governments to follow suit. The success of the
mutual understanding between the Labour governments following Kirk and the
anti-nuclear campaign would eventually culminate in a change in government
policy by the Lange administration in 1984. DAVID LANGE David Lange, born August 4th 1942, served as one
of the most revolutionary Prime Ministers of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. His
Labour government was one of the most reforming in the country’s history, where
both the anti-nuclear policy and the following legislation were passed under
his command. He was the fourth successive Labour Prime Minister to opt for a
nuclear-free New Zealand. It is often said that Lange’s legacy is that of the
nuclear-free legislation, something which Norman Kirk initiated earlier in the
late 1960s and early 1970s. Lange, like many other politicians and ordinary New
Zealanders, feared the capabilities of nuclear warfare. He was opposed to both
the nuclear testing in the pacific, but also saw the nuclear warship visits
from America as unnecessary. Lange was often critical of the use of nuclear power
in navy vessels, where he felt that “there’s only one thing worse than being
incinerated by your enemies, and that’s being incinerated by your friends” in
which he blatantly refers to the traditional allies of New Zealand who used
nuclear energy. His government was the first to take internal political action
over the anti-nuclear issue, where in 1984, after being elected into government
on a snap election, created the first anti-nuclear policy. This barred nuclear
powered or armed ships from using New Zealand ports or entering its waters. However
he did not stop his political campaign there, where he subsequently brought the
1987 Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act into parliament. The survival
of this act and New Zealand as a nuclear-free country can be attributed to his
desire to see New Zealand become legally nuclear-free, and also his objective
to satisfy the overwhelming number of people in support of the legislation. His
role in creating this anti-nuclear legislation was pivotal in the rupture of
the ANZUS alliance, which ultimately severed military ties with the United States.
DAVID LANGE-PRIME MINSTER OF NEW ZEALAND 1984 to 1989.