US embassy cable - 04WELLINGTON613

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000613 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/ANP 
NSC FOR GREEN, JONES 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PARM, NZ 
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND:  WHAT NUCLEAR ISSUE?  PM CLARK 
PUBLICLY CITES MEETINGS WITH PRESIDENT AND MIL-MIL 
INTERACTION AS SIGN NUKE ISSUE IS FADING 
 
 
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION, DAVID R. BURNETT, 
FOR REASONS 1.5(B,D) 
 
1. (SBU) In comments about the US-New Zealand relationship, 
NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark told Australia's ABC radio July 
8 "I must say that I personally have met George Bush a number 
of times and consider the personal relationship between us to 
be very good."  Making a direct link between those meetings 
and NZ's anti-nuclear stance, PM Clark added that she was 
"optimistic that over time what happened over 20 years ago 
will be of less and less relevance to these relationships." 
Clark went on to say that the world had moved on from the 
ANZUS agreement of 1951, and signaled her belief that NZ 
would not gain from reinstating the Alliance, which the US 
suspended in 1987 in response to the GoNZ's anti-nuclear 
legislation.  Blaming the USG for having made NZ's 
anti-nuclear legislation "a problem" between the two nations 
and noting that NZ was "absolutely entitled" to make its 
nuclear-free stand, Clark went on to state that overall, NZ's 
nuclear stance did not impinge upon "practical" mil-mil 
interaction between the US and New Zealand, citing GoNZ 
participation in Operation Enduring Freedom as an example. 
She did concede, however, that her government's anti-nuclear 
legislation caused "a generic problem when it comes to 
(military) training." 
 
2. (C) Comment: PM Clark's statements are about as close and 
as blunt as she's ever come to confessing something this post 
has long observed - that the GoNZ has convinced itself that 
naturally friendly but incidental meetings between POTUS and 
Clark, together with the inevitably increased mil-mil 
operations tempo due to NZ's OEF and Iraq contributions, is 
proof that GoNZ policies are wearing down USG resolve on the 
nuclear issue.  We further note that PM Clark is apparently 
much more willing to highlight her excellent relations with 
President Bush when speaking to an Australian audience than 
to domestic Kiwi audiences. 
Swindells