May 06, 2024
Stealth path to nuclear alliance claims Tuiono
Green Party Defence and Disarmament spokesperson Teanau Tuiono says the Government is trying to skirt around public opposition to AUKUS.
The alliance under which Australia would buy nuclear submarines from the United States and United Kingdom is seen as an attempt to deter
China’s push into the Pacific.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says the Government is only investigating whether New Zealand could have a role in the so called pillar 2 of the agreement, which is about sharing advanced technology.
Mr Tuiono says the Government seems to be looking for a way in to AUKUS.
“What we need to do as Aotearoa is actually focus on our rohe, focus on the Pacific, recognise that we are part of a family of Pacific nations – and to advocate for that independance is important. That’s what gets diplomatic leverage on the international stage,” he says.
Mr Tuiono says Aotearoa is trusted as an indepedent world voice, and we should not risk that reputation.